What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger
by Loves Sock Monkeys
Summary: Adult Brittana are the parents of Quinn and Rachel. Quinn has a terrible secret about Rachel's boyfriend, Finn Hudson. It is destroying her life, but when it comes out, will it destroy Rachel and her family. Skank Quinn/ Head Cheerleader Rachel. Rated M for spanking of teens, rape, cutting, trauma. Brittana with Quinn / Rachel as siblings.
1. Chapter 1

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**Prompt from JokerintheHand**_

_**Chapter 1 **_

"Jesus Christ Quinn, let me in the bathroom already!" Rachel said furiously as she pounded on the door, "If I'm late Coach will make me run suicides until I drop." She turned around and with her back to the door, kicked it hard.

Quinn was in the bathroom applying thick black mascara and just smirked at Rachel's temper tantrum; it was always so much fun irritating her highly excitable younger sister. She put the finishing touches on her bright pink hair and dark Goth makeup. She stuck her nose ring and her bangles in her pocket. It was safer to put those on in the car or in school.

Brittany came down the hallway carrying a basket of laundry under her arm as she saw her youngest kicking the bathroom door, "Rachel?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and a stern look, "Why are you kicking our bathroom door?"

"Mama," the little brunette whined loudly, "She's been in the bathroom for an hour already. She does it on purpose because she knows I have to get to Cheerios practice early."

The tall blonde put the basket down, "I'll handle it baby," she rubbed her youngest daughter's arm soothingly, "But no more kicking doors, you were lucky it was me and not your mom that saw you, I know for a fact she's warned you about that before. I know you don't want to be grounded before the big homecoming dance." She smiled softly as the girl nodded quickly in agreement.

Leaning towards the door, she knocked softly, "Quinn? Are you almost finished sweetheart? Rachel really needs to get ready and leave soon. I know you don't want to make her late for practice."

Both girls scoffed at their mother's words and rolled their eyes but Quinn didn't want to upset her kind mother any more than she already had lately; it bothered her knowing she was a disappointment to her parents, "I'll be right out Mama." She turned and called towards the door.

"Thank you sweetie." Brittany turned to her youngest, "You get ready baby and I'll fix you a quick protein shake to go."

"Thanks Mama." Rachel stood on her tiptoes and kissed her mother's cheek, wishing as always she had just a little bit of her height and a lot of her kind, laid back nature.

Quinn flushed the toilet and washed her hands slowly, just to drag out the time and irritate Rachel a little bit more. It wasn't her fault the annoying little diva made torturing her so much fun. If she wasn't such a fucking drama queen, she wouldn't even bother annoying her. Yanking open the door, she smirked at the look of anger on Rachel's face, "All yours BABY!" She said enunciating the baby part knowing how much it bothered Rachel being the youngest of the siblings, even if it was only by 7 months.

Rachel pushed past her sister, giving her a hard shoulder jab as she entered the bathroom, "I don't even know why you bother QUINNIE, you're a train wreck when you go in and you're an even bigger mess when you come out." She felt a quick stab of regret when she saw her sister flinch at the insult and the nickname she hated, and wished she didn't let Quinn push all her buttons so easily. She really did love her sister; she just didn't understand her priorities anymore.

The older girl quickly covered her hurt and was once again wearing the smooth mask she always wore, "You better hurry up, Frankenteen will be here soon to take you to practice with the rest of the lemmings. Don't want to miss a step and not be perfect today!" She said in a gratingly annoying sweet voice.

"Fuck you Quinn!" Rachel hissed softly making sure neither of her mothers' heard her cursing at her sister, she didn't need to be tasting soap all day long today. Quinn blew her a kiss and Rachel seethed and almost slammed the bathroom door. Catching herself before she did, knowing her mom would be less than impressed if she did, no matter how justified it was. She growled at the amused laughter she heard floating into the bathroom. Ripping off her pajamas, she jumped into the shower. Quinn was right, Finn would be here soon and she wanted to look her best for her boyfriend. Thinking about Finn Hudson made her smile for the first time today.

Thinking of Finn had the opposite effect on Quinn; she hated the tall, stupid jock. Just the idea of Rachel being alone with him made her sick to her stomach. She would have to renew her efforts to get them to break up.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn headed downstairs for the mandatory "sit at the breakfast table with your parents and push food around your plate while making small talk" time. She sighed, she knew her mothers' cared and they loved their children, she just had no idea what to say to them anymore and it was always so uncomfortable.

She walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see her mom, Santana sitting at the table already. Her mom was not a morning person and usually Quinn and her dark haired mom were the last two to sit down. It was weird they were the first today, which could only mean one thing…

"Oh shit, she wants to talk." Quinn thought as she desperately looked for a way out of the kitchen before being seen.

"Morning sweetheart, did you sleep alright?" Her mom said looking up from her cell phone.

"Fuck…" Quinn thought as she smiled and shrugged, "Morning Mom, I slept ok, just never enough." She headed over and poured a cup of coffee ignoring her mother's pointed look. Santana felt she was too young to be drinking coffee every morning.

Her mom laughed genuinely amused, "We are definitely an argument for nature versus nurture kiddo, you know that right?" They shared no DNA whatsoever and Brittany had carried Quinn but she was more Santana than anything. It both irritated and amused the Latina. She had carried Rachel and she didn't understand that girl at all, loved her but didn't understand her.

Quinn smiled back; maybe her mom was just on time today and this wasn't an ambush, "I know right, it's weird that I'm exactly like you in so many ways." The blonde pointed to the cell phone, "Lots of appointments today?"

"I have court today, which will take all day unfortunately. What's on your agenda for today? I mean you've already successfully pissed off your younger sister. What else do you have planned?" Santana said seriously.

Her two daughters used to be so close and now all they did was fight. Having no siblings herself, she had no idea if it was normal or not but it bothered her. She had dreamed all her life of her future with Brittany Pierce and the children they would have and the life they would live. Being a lawyer was important to her but being the best wife and mother she could be was her calling and she took those roles very seriously.

Brittany had a younger sister and told her wife it was perfectly natural, all the bickering, especially since Quinn and Rachel were so different, personality wise. She loved and trusted her wife's intuition so she tried to be patient with it, only stepping in when it appeared to get hurtful and overly mean.

Quinn sighed, nope clearly an ambush, "I know but she just makes it so easy and fun to piss her off Mom." She flinched a little at the unhappy eyebrow that shot up from her mother.

Her parents were loving and attentive and involved, unlike so many of her friend's parents but they had rules and standards and if you continually broke them you eventually wound up with a very sore bottom, or being grounded for a very long, boring time. Quinn was in no hurry to do either again anytime soon.

"Rachel, for all her bravado, takes your teasing to heart. It hurts her Quinn. Just try to be a little more patient with her please? Your Mama and I feel like referees and not parents since school started." Santana said softly, "It's only October babe and you two are already at each other's throats."

"I'll try Mom, really I will." She almost laughed about Rachel taking Quinn's teasing to heart. If her Mom even knew what went on at that school; her sister was the big shot, the head cheerleader dating the starting asshole quarterback and they were the social elite. The jocks and cheerleaders tortured anyone who was different, not the other way around. If anyone was always getting hurt feelings it was Quinn, not that she would ever admit that out loud.

Quinn knew that one word from her to either of her mothers' about the standing slushy war Rachel and Finn had ordered and their perfect little daughter would find herself facedown over their knee by suppertime. They would not tolerate bullying of any kind.

Then again, one word from Rachel about what the Skanks did under the bleachers every day or how she got her cigarette and lunch money from the freshman in the ladies room and she would wind up in the same position. Smirking she wondered if her Mom would be impressed with the truce the sisters had going on about what happened daily at that awful school.

She was pulled from her musings by her mother clearing her throat loudly.

"Sorry Mom, what did you say?" Quinn focused back on her Mom.

"I said, have you spent any more time on that painting you were working on? The big secret art project you've been working on for a while?" She smiled in amusement at the look on her daughter's face having been caught daydreaming.

"I've kinda lost my inspiration lately. I need to take some more pictures and haven't gotten there yet." Quinn shrugged.

"I thought it was a painting? What does photography have to do with it?" The older brunette put her phone down and leaned forward with interest. That's what Quinn really loved about her moms, they didn't fake interest, and they really did want to know.

"It's a multimedia mixed art project. So it's a painting around a collage of themed photos with some cut glass broken crystals around the whole project. When I finish it I mean." The blonde shrugged.

"That sounds pretty detailed. What's the theme?" She sipped her coffee.

"I think I want to see if you can figure it out when it's finished." Quinn teased, knowing her Mom didn't have an artistic bone in her body.

Santana snorted, "Yeah right, I will leave the art interpretation up to your Mama, she's the one who loved The Louvre on our honeymoon, I totally didn't see what the big deal was!"

"I want to go there so bad! You are so lucky to go to Paris and see The Louvre." Quinn sighed dreamily. It was one of her dreams to visit Paris.

"Well you would love it just like your Mama did but I think all that culture would be lost on Rachel and me! Your sister would be happy with New York City. Do you still want to study art?" Santana tried digging and watched in exasperation as her daughter quickly shut down emotionally and shrugged noncommittally.

They both heard the car horn blaring in the driveway. It was a constant source of irritation for Santana Lopez-Pierce, "He is an athlete, so he really can't get his ass out of the car and walk the few steps to the door? Every morning with that horn, Dios mío," She stood up and walked to the stairs, "Rachel! Finn is here." She shouted up the stairs still muttering under her breath, she really didn't like that kid, she knew Rachel did so she tried, but he was nowhere near good enough for her little girl. She just got a weird vibe off of him. He seemed so nice to their faces, but Santana felt like he was just another teenage dude on the make.

Quinn tried to keep her hatred in check, just another way her and her Mom were alike, they both had no use for Finn "Frankenteen" Hudson. She thought she could try something without being too obvious, "You know, I thought we weren't allowed alone in the car with guys. Isn't that the rule, we have to be with another girlfriend?" She said innocently as she looked down at her plate, "I'm just checking since I told Puck he couldn't pick me up alone anymore."

Santana looked at her eldest daughter suspiciously, but she walked to the kitchen window and looked out and sure enough, Finn was alone in the car. She sighed; she would have to talk to Britt about it again. She didn't want her girls alone in the car with teenage boys.

Rachel came tearing down the stairs and grabbed the protein shake her Mama had left on the counter, "Morning Mom, love you, sorry I didn't get to visit this morning!" She quickly kissed her mom, glared at her sister and headed out the door shouting, "Bye Mama, thanks for the shake!"

Santana just shook her head and sat back down, "Hurricane Rachel! That child is a force of nature." She looked at her oldest, "You need to eat something, I'm not blind you know, I see you just pushing the food around your plate. At least have some toast and a banana." She finished sternly, "I love you and I just worry about you, you know?" Santana softened at the look of sadness on Quinn's face, thinking it was her comments and not Finn causing it.

"I'm fine Mom, really, nothing to worry about." She said casually, putting a mask back on.

Both their head turned at Brittany's loud yell, "Quinn Cordelia Lopez-Pierce! What on Earth is this?" Her Mama angrily stomped into the kitchen.

The girl saw her favorite jean jacket in her Mama's hands before she saw the cell phone and flinched knowing she had seen the pictures on her phone. She was totally screwed and she knew it.

She gulped audibly as she turned to her tall furious mother, "Mama I can explain…."

_**Please leave a review…**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**Chapter 2**_

"Mama I can explain…." Quinn stood up and backed up a few steps as her mother advanced towards her.

"Britt baby? What's going on?" Santana stood up and got between her angry wife and her really nervous oldest daughter. Her wife never got angry like this with their daughters. Sure they were strict and both of them disciplined their kids but Britt was beyond furious.

Quinn seeing a potential ally slipped closer behind her Mom and peeked out at her Mama, her hazel-eyes big and wide. How could she have been so stupid to leave her phone just lying around like that?

"This is what is going on Santana and all I have to say young lady is that tattoo on you had better be fake!" She angrily thrust the phone into her wife's hands as she stood there tapping her foot with her arms folded angrily across her chest.

Santana held the phone and looked over her shoulder at her pale daughter, "Quinn?"

"I'm going to be late for school?" She tried feebly.

"I'll write you a note." Brittany said in a clipped no-nonsense tone.

Santana, finding herself in the new and uncomfortable role of peacekeeper sighed, "Alright, we need to all calm down for a minute. Baby? Sit down please and let Quinn explain." She motioned to her wife and then turned to their oldest, "Q, sit down please?"

Quinn took the seat furthest away from her fuming Mama and crossed her arms in a nearly identical pose and chewed her lip viciously.

Santana looked through the pictures quickly and frowned, "Is that?"

"Ryan Seacrest…" Her daughter said softly, "It was meant to be ironic."

Both Santana and her daughter jumped when Brittany slapped her hands down on the table, "I don't care what it was meant to be, it's coming off, today if possible." She yelled loudly.

"It's my body and I can do with it what I want and you can't stop me!" She jumped up furiously.

"I beg your pardon young lady? Who do you think you are talking to that way?" Brittany stood up as well. The mother and daughter stood at odds, glaring at each other.

Santana stood up, "Quinn do not take that tone with your Mama. Britt we are trying to talk calmly, let's just sit back down everyone…." She was using all her lawyer skills but they weren't working with the two furious blondes.

"I most certainly did not give you permission to get that tattoo, did you Santana?" She angrily turned her big blue eyes to look at her wife.

"No of course not! I don't approve either, but it's done and we need to deal with it." The Latina said calmly, equally unhappy with her daughter permanently marking her body.

Quinn was furious, "You violated my privacy by going through my cell phone and now you think you can just treat me like some baby…"

Now it was Santana's turn to get angry, "You better drop the sarcasm and the bad attitude right this instant young lady; first of all it is your phone because we let you have it. Your mother and I pay for that phone and it's a privilege not a right, one that can be taken away by either of us at any time. Now apologize to your Mama right now." She states firmly.

The pink haired beauty was shaking with emotions she couldn't even put words to, Rachel got away with everything but she was always being called on the carpet, "I'm sorry I'm not your perfect little Rachel," She sassed.

"That is not the apology I was looking for Quinn Cordelia Lopez-Pierce and you know it. I am this close to turning you over my knee, is that really how you want this conversation to end this morning? I have seriously had enough of your attitude." Santana glared at her oldest sternly, "You are barely 16 years old and whether you like it or not, you will do as we say and you will follow our rules. Your Mama and I have been more than patient with you lately but tattoos are definitely not ok and you know that!"

"Fine, I'm sorry alright! I'm sorry for every stupid thing I ever have done or will do, Jesus!" She grabbed her bag, keys and her phone, kicked the kitchen chair in violently and stormed out of the kitchen before her stunned parents could say a word.

"Quinn!" Santana yelled after her daughter but she was gone. She turned to her angry blonde wife, "What the hell was that, what were you thinking? You know how defensive she gets, we just needed to be calm and talk to her."

"Don't you dare blame me Santana Lopez-Pierce! I have dealt with the pink hair, the nose ring, the black clothes and weird makeup but tattoo's? No, absolutely not, I'm drawing the line! I've tried to be understanding of her bad attitude and her awful friends and terrible taste in music but I am done giving her space Santana. She doesn't need space, she needs firm discipline, that girl is running wild. I am going to tan her ass when she gets home. I have seriously had enough of Little Miss Thing's disrespect and bad attitude. How dare she just get up and run out of here in the middle of a conversation?"

"I'm sorry babe, I'm not blaming you I'm just frustrated as well. I keep trying to talk to her and get in her head but she just won't give an inch. She is so fucking stubborn." She grimaced at her wife's smirk, "I know, I know, she gets that from me." She said holding her hands up in surrender, "Just don't do anything while you are this angry ok? I agree she needs to be punished but can you wait until I get home tonight and we can talk some more?"

Brittany walked over and took her wife in her arms and kissed her gently, "You know I don't ever discipline the girls when I'm angry, but I will wait until you get home and we can talk after dinner. I'm so frustrated with her lately San, I don't know how to talk to her anymore. It's like she lives to push my buttons every second of the day." She said forcefully.

"I know, Rachel's attitude sucks too lately and I wonder if Q is right. It does seem like we treat Rachel a little differently and I don't want to be unfair. I mean just because Q dyes her hair and looks Goth are we harder on her? Honestly Britt, I get the feeling that Rachel is just sneakier than Quinn." The Latina said despondently.

The tall blonde frowned and sat down, "God, I hope not but maybe. Whatever possessed us to have them at the same time? I thought they would grow up to be best friends and always have someone by their side. I was so worried about them being from a same-sex family that people would exclude them and they might only have each other. They are just so different; they act like they hate each other all the time."

Santana walked over and hugged Brittany from behind, "First of all I still think it was the right decision to have them at the same time and raise them together. I was lonely as a kid without a sibling. So they fight, they still love each other. We just need to be more careful we aren't judging Q on her looks like the rest of the world does."

Brittany nodded seriously, "I know, I don't think I do treat her differently but I'll try harder not to. I just understand what Rachel is going through and I just don't seem to understand Quinn and her moods anymore. She's so beautiful, why does she work so hard to cover it up. She's like a jolly rancher in an ashtray, you know?"

Santana snorted at her wife's weird analogy, she loved the way Brittany's mind worked, "She's still beautiful babe and all we need to do is be loving and available and consistent. We just have to be there for both of them and love them and let them know we have rules for a reason. We will all work through this and she will be fine and so will Rachel. They are loved and they have the best Mama in the whole world." She said sincerely.

"You are such a wonderful wife and mother Santana, I'm sorry I lost it this morning. I was so shocked when I saw those pictures and I was still a little irritated with her for getting Rachel all riled up this morning. I should have handled it better. I will be calmer tonight." The blonde stood up and took her wife in her arms again.

Santana felt tears fill her eyes at the compliment, it meant so much to her to be a good wife and Mom, "I know you will babe but you're right her behavior has been unacceptable and she needs to understand that. It's been awhile since we've had to punish either of them, maybe we've been too lax with them lately."

"Well we will handle it together like we always do, a team, the best team ever; Team Lopez-Pierce!" Brittany said sweetly, "Do you think you'll be home for supper?"

Santana checked her watch smiling at her wife, "I don't know yet. I guess we'll see how late court runs, but I'll text you on break and give you an update. Call my assistant if you need me, I love you! I've got to run. I cannot be late for Callahan's court; he really is a stickler about punctuality."

"I love you wifey! Go send some bad guys to jail baby!" The tall blonde said sweetly sending her wife out the door with a kiss and a big smile.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn drove to school as fast as she could, she didn't need any shit about being late today from anyone; she turned on the new Dying Fetus CD and blasted it as loud as her speakers could go.

Pulling into the McKinley High School parking lot, she turned off the ignition and listened some more to the death metal band and fought back the tears that came to her eyes.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…" She said pounding on her steering wheel. She knew she was in huge trouble when she got home. Her temper was always the reason she was in trouble, that and her pissy attitude and smart mouth. It was so hard to stop once she got started.

Now she had to deal with the asshole jocks all day, she looked at the school doors and fought the overwhelming urge to just drive away and spend the day at the park or something, she was already in trouble. Most likely going to get spanked when she got home, both mothers were furious with her and she knew the look on her Mama's face meant business. She was pretty sure she sealed the deal by walking out like that. What would it hurt to skip school?

Pulling out the phone she had snatched off the kitchen table when she left, she quickly texted Mack and Sheila and let them know she was skipping and headed to the park if they wanted to join her. The reply from Mack was instantaneous and Quinn grinned widely, you could always count on Mack to have her back. She pulled her car around the school and out of sight and waited for her best friend to come out the side door.

Mack jumped into Quinn's car and screamed, "Road Trip!"

Quinn laughed, "What are you talking about; the park is like 5 minutes away?"

"Fuck that, let's get out of this stupid one horse town, let's drive to Toledo and hang out at the University campus. There has to be a party going on somewhere with losers and slackers like us. They have a great art gallery for the students; I'll even let you torture me by taking me to the art gallery." Mack laughed.

Quinn stared straight ahead for a minute; her mothers' would kill her if they found out. She chewed her lip for a minute trying to decide. She smiled and looked at Mack, "Yeah, fuck this one horse town, let's get out of here!"

She put the car in drive, pulled out a cigarette and put on her sunglasses. She turned up the head banging music and took off for Toledo.

"That's what I love about you Lopez-Pierce, you are so badass!"

"Hey it's better to say sorry than to ask for permission I always say!" Quinn and Mack laughed loudly.

Quinn smirked and left McKinley High, Rachel Lopez-Pierce, all the stupid perfect jocks and her mothers in the rearview mirror for the day. She'd deal with the consequences later, she was already screwed.

_**Please review….**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**Chapter 3**_

Rachel had just left her first period class and was joking around with her friends when Noah "Puck" Puckerman walked up to her in the hallway. She usually didn't bother with any of her sister's friends but Noah was on the football team so she wouldn't get shit for talking to him from anyone.

"Hey Jew Babe, where's Q today?"

The diva sighed heavily and waved goodbye to her friends as he stopped to talk to the mohawked boy in the leather jacket. She had no idea how he hadn't been tossed from the team yet, but Coach Bieste had a soft spot for him. Rachel just couldn't see what everyone saw in him, she thought he was a juvenile delinquent like the rest of Quinn's friends but he was sweet if not infuriating, "I told you a million times already, I am not Jewish. Not that there is anything wrong with being Jewish but I am half Latina and half donated sperm."

The boy shrugged, "So you could be Jewish, you just don't know. The nose never lies babe!" He said chuckling as he leaned forward and gently tapped her nose, "there are like 20 noses just like that at the temple my grandma makes me take her to every week."

"That is the most stereotypical racist thing I have ever heard you say, besides Quinn and I have the same father, does she look Jewish to you asshole?" Her nose was a sensitive subject to Rachel Barbra Lopez-Pierce, "Wait, you go to temple every week." She stared at him in amazement.

He looked away embarrassed, "What can I say, I'm a good grandson. So tall, Goth and gorgeous is missing this morning, know where she is?"

"No she was all ready for school when I left, she should be here, are you sure you just haven't seen her yet?"

"I'm sure; Q, Mack and I all have the same first class. Mack never showed up either. I bet they ditched together." He said sounding pissed off at being left out.

"Please, they are probably getting high out under the bleachers. Did you check there?" Rachel scoffed in disgust trying not to show she cared that Quinn was missing.

He turned and looked at Rachel sadly, "You know Q doesn't drink or get high, so quit being such a snotty little bitch. Your little cheerleader zombie friends aren't here to be impressed at the moment, it's just me."

"Sorry Noah, I don't like the nose jokes." She said a little ashamed of herself, "I have no idea where Quinn is, but she should be here. My mothers' will kill her if she skipped. My mama especially is all about us getting the best education we can. With mom being a prosecutor she is all about school too, being a lawyer and all." Rachel looked down the hallway biting her lip.

"Thanks Rach, I'll knock off the nose jokes, I didn't know they bothered you so much, and I have to say that you are just as hot as Q, just in a different way. You got these freaking amazing legs that just don't quit, so don't sweat the nose babe, it's actually pretty cute. When you see Q have her call me." He tossed the short girl a cheeky wink and she smiled at him against her will.

"You're impossible you know that?" She said more amused than angry now.

"That's what she said." He walked away laughing.

Rachel sighed and walked towards Miss Pillsbury's office.

Knocking lightly, she stuck her head in the office, "Hi Miss Pillsbury, do you have a second?"

The ginger haired guidance counselor looked up from straightening her pamphlets, "Oh hi Rachel, come on in. What can I do for you?"

"Did my mama call Quinn in sick today?" She said sweetly, "They were both sick this morning and I was afraid she might have just fallen back to sleep before calling, she was a little out of it."

Emma frowned, "No she didn't I was just getting ready to call your house and find out where Quinn was."

"Well then I have perfect timing." Rachel laughed sweetly. "You don't have to call and wake them up. I'll make sure my mama writes a note for Quinn tomorrow, that is if they are both feeling better by then." She lied smoothly.

"Are they alright, do they need anything?" The counselor asked concerned.

Rachel pretended to be thinking, "I don't think so it's just a little bug, nothing to worry about, but I think it's best if we just let them sleep today, don't you?"

"Of course Rachel, thank you so much for letting me know about Quinn. I'll just mark her absence excused for today."

"Thanks Miss Pillsbury, talk to you later!" She walked towards her next class smiling and glad that she looked so sweet and innocent. Being the head Cheerio gave her a lot of leeway in this school and she would use it to her advantage every time.

Settling into her seat and mouthing a quick apology to the teacher for being late, she pulled out her cell phone and quickly texted Quinn.

_**Hey slacker I covered with MsP at school for u so dont be late 2night if I get caught lying you get daily slushies for 1 week btw Pucks looking for u!**_

Quinn was still driving to Toledo when her phone buzzed indicating a text. Expecting Puck or Sheila, she had Mack look for her.

"It's from the head cheerleader with the stick up her ass." Mack read her the text, "What the fuck Q, why would she cover for you, you two hate each other?"

Quinn laughed at the text and smiled at Mack, "She's my sister and she knows I would cover for her. She's bratty and crazy but I don't hate her. School is neutral territory; we agreed to have a truce there."

"So your mothers don't know that she is the HBIC or about the slushy's or the bullying?" Mack said in amazement.

"Nope and they don't know that we smoke under the bleachers or we take lunch money from freshman either. It's win-win for both Rachel and me!" Quinn said steadily keeping her eyes on the road.

"Damn Q, I'd hate to be in your shoes or Rachel's if they ever find everything out." She laughed.

Quinn looked over and met Mack's brown eyes and laughed along with her, "No shit!"

She pulled into a rest stop and took the phone from Mack and texted Rachel back.

_**Thx loser I owe u 1 ~ sorry bout this morning :P**_

Then Quinn texted Puck a quick update and promised to call when she got home.

Rachel looked at her phone and smiled softly reading the text from her sister; Quinn could still be cool once in a while.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn convinced Mack to take her to the student art gallery after spending the morning walking around the campus.

It was where the girl finally felt calm and peaceful. She loved the art gallery, stopping at each piece and admiring and critiquing the work. Quinn would judge each piece on its own merit and try to understand the motivating emotions behind each one. She loved the art, photography and sculptures the most and found her own creativity being sparked. More than once she wished she had her camera with her. Quinn thought about her conversation with her mom about The Louvre and decided she was going to get to Paris somehow. Maybe art was what she wanted to study, she was glad both her mothers' supported their daughters' ambitions.

She actually forgot for a while how much trouble she was in and it amused her how bored Mack was, "Not having fun?"

"I'm ok; I'm just not into this artistic stuff like you are. Take your time, I'm fine." Mack said easily and Quinn smiled at her gratefully as she went over and sat on a bench.

"My mama found out about my tattoo."

"NO fucking way, and you're still alive?" Mack turned to her in surprise as Quinn shrugged.

"I kind of had a fit about her invading my privacy and stormed out of the house. When I got to school, I knew if one stupid jock made one stupid comment I would go to jail for homicide today." She sighed as she sipped her bottled water.

"So you thought cutting school was a good idea, you have a death wish you know that right?" Mack said clearly impressed.

Quinn smirked, "Clearly! Puck must have told Rachel I ditched, so she covered for me."

"I still can't believe Man Hands and you are related!"

"Hey don't ok? We've been best friends for a long time but Rachel is still my sister so don't call her those names in front of me. I know you guys don't get along and that's fine but I don't like the name calling. I've told her the same thing about you that she needs to knock it off as well."

Mack looked pissed, "You know if it came down to you or her precious popularity or her precious Finnept you would lose every time?"

"Just drop it Mack, don't call her names in front of me. And don't mention that asshole to me ever again." Quinn got up and walked over to the drinking fountain to refill her water bottle leaving behind a Mack shaking her head in aggravation at the thought of how quickly Rachel would betray Quinn to keep her position at McKinley High.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn watched in amusement as Mack made out with some college slacker she just met, "The girl has a nose like a bloodhound for finding parties and losers to make out with." She thought sarcastically. They were in a neighborhood just outside of the campus in one of the old houses with the big porches. Quinn was sitting on a glider enjoying the nice Fall weather. She could smell leaves burning; it was one of her favorite smells right up there with a campfire. It was happy memories of her childhood, swimming and a campfire and roasting marshmallows. She missed how easy everything was back then. Scolding herself for getting morose on such a nice day, she checked the time on her phone and called to Mack.

"We have to get out of here pretty soon Mack, I can't get home later than normal today." She called out to the girl sitting astride the long-haired blonde guy who was currently groping her ass. Quinn snorted at the look of displeasure the kid gave her for interrupting their make out session as Mack pulled away wiping her mouth.

She got up and followed Quinn down the porch stairs, "Peace out Dave." She casually called back to the aggravated kid on the porch.

"It's Dan." He called out.

"Whatever!" Mack said as she and Quinn linked arms and laughed as they walked to the car.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana walked into her office and surprised her assistant, "Holla boss-lady, I thought you had court all day?"

The Latina chuckled, "Judge Callahan was felled by a bad burrito. After three recesses they had to reschedule."

Both women laughed and Holly said, "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy eh?" She winked at her boss who had plenty run-ins with the rude and bigoted Judge Callahan.

"Holly, why don't you go home early take a half day, go enjoy the nice weather before the snow flies?"

"You're sure?" Holly said eagerly already grabbing her purse and keys.

Santana laughed at her antsy assistant, "Go, you worked really hard on this case and stayed late a lot. I'll be fine."

"You don't have to tell me twice, hasta luego el jefe!" She called with a quick backwards wave on her way out the door.

The brunette just shook her head, her assistant was a loon but she was the best paralegal in the business. Brittany accused her of having a soft spot for tall blondes which made them both laugh at the idea of Santana with Holly Holliday.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

"This cannot be happening to me, please start, please start." Quinn prayed silently. She turned the key one last time and it just clicked uselessly again, "I'm so fucking dead." She let her pink head drop down onto the steering wheel and banged it twice for good measure.

"Relax, I'll go back and get Dave to come and give the car a jump."

"It's Dan." Quinn said not moving her head off the wheel, "And he didn't seem very happy with either of us. I am so fucked."

Mack laughed at Quinn's doomed expression and patted her on the back comfortingly, "Relax my friend, Confucius say in a house of nerds you will find at least three boys who can take apart a car engine and put back together blindfolded." She said in a horrible Chinese accent.

Quinn laughed back, "Oh he did huh? Good to know." She got out of the car and popped the hood and stood there looking at the engine like staring at it might frighten it into submission.

"I'll be right back with a knight with long greasy hair and a tool kit!" Mack shouted as she broke into a slow jog realizing it was getting late.

Quinn was leaning over the hood staring at the engine and cursing it when she heard someone clearing their throat politely. Turning she saw tall blonde with floppy hair and a big, wide, generous smile, "Car trouble?" He said politely as he gestured towards the car.

She looked down at her black skirt and boots with her gypsy blouse and black fingernails and then at his J Crew outfit with expensive jeans and shawl-collar sweater and his leather Oxford shoes, "Job interview?" She said as she gestured towards his clothes.

He threw his full head of floppy blonde hair back and laughed delightfully, "No, rich lawyer for a father. My name is Sam, Sam Evans and you are?"

"Quinn Lopez-Pierce, nice to meet you. I have a rich lawyer for a mother and you don't catch me dressing like that." She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow giving him the once over, clearly he was on the make and knew nothing about cars.

"Lopez huh? You don't look like any Lopez I've ever met."

"Why because of my blonde roots? Cameron Diaz is a Latina; blue eyed and blonde. You might want to check your stereotypes at the door buddy since my two LESBIAN moms wouldn't be very impressed with them." She turned back to the engine effectively dismissing Sam Evans.

"Ok fine, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot but you can't say you didn't judge me on my looks either? You know you did. Now, can I help?" He said sincerely, causing Quinn to turn and look at the boy a second time.

"Do you know anything about cars?" She asked giving him a second chance, "Or did you just come over here to get my phone number?"

He smiled his pleasant smile again and went to get behind the wheel, "Yes, I know about cars and yes, I came over to get your phone number." He turned the key and got the same clicking and frowned, "You're not going anywhere Lopez, your alternator is shot. I'm sorry, wish I had better news for you. Can I give you a ride somewhere?"

Mack came back with a reluctant Dan in tow as Sam and Quinn talked. Sam watched with interest as the boy got in and tried the car and came to the same conclusion as the blonde.

"Bad alternator, nothing to do now but tow it and have the alternator replaced." He got out and looked at Quinn who looked very upset, "Sorry." He muttered. He had hoped to be the hero and get laid.

"You guys are really sure, not just an opinion?" Quinn said desperately.

Dan was leaning on the car, "You noticed any weird stuff lately; flickering lights, a whining noise, maybe smell rubber burning?"

Quinn groaned and nodded, "I was going to talk to my mom about taking it in to get fixed this weekend; she had a big case going to court this week." She explained mostly to Mack.

"I can drive you guys somewhere." Sam said nicely.

"Me too." Dan said quickly, not wanting to be left out.

"Lima?" Mack said as Quinn went and sat back in the car and put her head on the wheel in despair.

Sam shrugged noncommittally and Dan said quickly, "I'll drive you back to Lima Mack."

Mack nodded and went to talk to Quinn, "Let me call Puck, he hears you're stranded and he'll be here in a shot."

"I have to call my moms, one of them anyway. Oh God, a nearly two hour ride home with my furious mama. I'm living the dream. Why don't you call Puck, I don't want to subject you to that."

"Dan offered to drive me home. If you want company though I'll hang out and deal with Brittany with you."

Quinn sat up quickly and Mack thought she was going to be sick, "Q what is it?"

"My mom is in court, I'll call her assistant Holly, she's really cool and she would definitely come get me and that way I don't have to tell my mama until I get home. It's perfect."

She pulled out her cell and quickly dialed her mom's work number.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana texted Brittany to let her know she would be home in time for dinner and was sitting there thinking about Quinn and what to do about her attitude and tattoo.

Her office phone rang and she noticed it was Quinn's number from the caller id, "Quinn? Is everything alright?"

"Uhhm ah ah ah hi mom." She said lamely as she winced in pain at her own stupidity. Mack turned swiftly and stared at her best friend.

"Oh fuck me." Mack whispered softly as Quinn nodded her agreement.

"I have good news and I have bad news; the good news is I am fine and safe and the bad news is that my car broke down… in Toledo." She cringed and pulled the phone away from her ear as a loud barrage of Spanish swear words poured through the receiver.

After about five minutes of a lengthy, very loud, multilingual lecture, Quinn told her mom, "Mack got a ride home from a friend. I can ride with them and we can figure out the car situation later?" She said hopefully.

Santana barked out a laugh, "And deny you the pleasure of a two hour car ride back to Lima with two very pissed off mothers and a younger sister who is being ripped from the arms of the love of her life and will blame you for it? Oh sweetheart, I couldn't deprive you of such a wonderful experience."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Sam talked Quinn into going to get a pizza while they waited the two hours it would take Santana to get there to pick her up.

Santana drove home to get the mini-van and insisted Brittany come with her, "I swear B if she starts running her mouth, I need you there to keep me from killing her."

"Who is going to protect her from me?" Brittany said sweetly as she called Rachel downstairs to the kitchen, "Come on Rach, we are going to Toledo to pick up your stranded sister." Rachel's eyes shot wide open.

"Why do I have to go? I can stay here and study or something." She said making plans in her head for Finn to come over unsupervised, which was definitely not allowed in the Lopez-Pierce household.

"It's the something that bothers me Rachel, you heard your Mama so grab what you need, we have to leave right now." Santana said tiredly, "It's getting late and it's already going to be a long night."

Rachel stamped her foot on the floor, "I am not a baby, I'm almost 16 years old and I am perfectly capable of staying home unsupervised for a few hours."

"Well your Mama and I are not ready to be grandparents yet, so get your tiny ass into the van." The Latina said sternly quickly losing patience with both her daughters right now.

Rachel looked appalled, "Oh for goodness sakes, if I wanted to have sex with Finn I could….."

Brittany quickly leaned over so she was face to face with her youngest daughter, "I would be very careful about the next words that come out of your mouth little girl unless you want a permanent chaperone with you on every single date from here on out." She said dangerously.

The diva swallowed, "No I'll just grab my pillow and my iPod and I'll be right back." She quickly ran up the stairs, "Stupid fucking Quinn and Mack, if I get in trouble over this she is so going to pay."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn picked at her salad and sipped her diet coke as she talked to Sam, "It was really nice of you to do this. You didn't have to."

"My pleasure Lopez, so big trouble huh?"

She smirked and nodded, "More than you can even imagine." She told him about her tattoo and about storming out of the house, ditching class and now the dead car.

"So the uniform is not just for show then, you really are that tough?"

She huffed, "This isn't a uniform Evans, I wear what I feel expresses me, my feelings and my outlook on life, in my own style. Now my sister the goody two shoes little cheerleader, they wear a uniform."

"Look you accused me of stereotyping before, but aren't you just trying to push people away? Put up a wall between you and the rest of the world that you feel doesn't understand you? I mean you and Mack are wearing similar clothes and styles." He sat back and sipped his water.

"Let me guess, philosophy major?" She laughed wryly, "What about your uniform? J Crew seriously, polished leather Oxfords, that gold watch. We're not so different as you think Mr. Self-Righteous."

Quinn's cell rang shrilly breaking the silence, "It's my mom, I have to take this." She answered and quickly gave directions and hung up quickly, "They'll be here in 15 minutes, can we get back to my car now? I can walk myself if you just want to go back to your dorm or whatever?"

"Why? Because you so rudely but very accurately called me self-righteous? Don't worry about it. Do you want to exchange numbers? I have a feeling we won't be able to when your mom gets here."

She snorted out a laugh, "Sure but I don't know what good it is going to do, I have a feeling I'll be losing the phone and internet for a long time."

"I'll wait." He said softly taking the phone from her hand and letting his hand linger. He had never met anyone like Quinn Lopez-Pierce and he was enthralled.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn was pacing around her car when she saw the entire family drive up in the van and had to swallow a huge lump at the angry looks her mothers and sister were shooting her.

Santana and Brittany got out of the car and slammed the doors. Sam walked over to Santana and held out his hand, "Mrs. and Mrs. Lopez-Pierce, very nice to meet you I'm Sam Evans."

Both women smiled politely and shook the young blonde's hand, "It's definitely the alternator and I had a suggestion if it's alright with you?" He asked permission to continue.

Santana nodded.

"It would cost a fortune to tow the car back to Lima to fix, I know a guy, very honest, who can do it for you here. We just need to get it towed there and tomorrow I'll pop over after class and introduce myself and handle it for you." Sam said smoothly.

Santana crossed her arms and stared at the young man, "Sam Evans? Of Ballish, Broomfield and Evans, the legal firm in Cleveland?"

"I'm surprised you made the connection, but yes that's my father." He smiled winningly.

"You look just like him, besides him being a big-time defense attorney and me being a prosecutor it's not unusual we would know about each other. How old are you?"

Quinn walked over closer to the brunette, "Mom?"

Sam answered, "Almost 20 ma'am."

Santana's face got hard; her lawyer-face Brittany called it, "My daughter is 16 years old, so if you are offering to help out to impress her, think again. Whether you help or not Evans, you have zero chance of dating my daughter."

"Mother!" Quinn growled appalled at the attack on Sam, "He's done nothing but help me." She whispered fiercely.

Santana turned back to the blonde man, "I understand that and I appreciate it, but Mr. Evans here looks like a man that can handle the truth."

"I appreciate that Quinn is 16 years old and I would never do anything to disrespect your family Mrs. Lopez-Pierce but I would like to still help if you would let me." He said courteously, "Sam Evans at the service of any and all damsels in distress." He said as he bowed in a courtly manner making all of them laugh. Rachel got out of the van finally noticing the cute guy helping her sister.

"In that case then, thank you I appreciate your help. She fished in her purse and pulled out a business card, "All my numbers and my email address are on that card. Do you know a good tow company as well?"

Sam pulled out his cell, "Let me see what we can figure out."

Santana took Quinn's arm and pulled her over by the car so they could talk privately, "Why did you call my work phone, you knew I was in court…..oh wait, you wanted Holly to come get you so you could avoid calling your Mama. Let me get this straight, first the tattoo, then you talk back to us, you storm out of the house in a fashion that would have made Rachel proud by the way, you ditch school and drive all the way to Toledo to have your alternator die, you call Holly and get me by mistake? Is that right?"

Quinn put her head down and nodded regretfully, "Wow Quinnie, seriously not been your day at all has it?"

"Evidently not." The teen said dryly as her mother continued laughing.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

It took another hour to get the car towed to Sam's car shop and then an entire hour of Quinn having to listen to both her mothers' lecture her as they were driving home before Brittany turned to Santana, "Did the school call you about Quinn being absent, because no one called me?"

Rachel sucked in a breath as Quinn went pale, "I had Mack call me in sick and then I called her in sick." She said quickly as Rachel looked at her gratefully.

Santana looked at her daughter in the rear view mirror, "So we can add lying on top of everything else you've managed to accomplish today? Perfect just perfect." She finished angrily.

Brittany turned in her seat and drilled holes in her oldest daughter with her crystal blue eyes, "It's too late to deal with this tonight but you are in very big trouble young lady. I am very disappointed in your recent behavior and it is not going to continue. Do you understand me Quinn?"

The teen squirmed in her seat and caught Rachel's sympathetic glance, they both knew what "very big trouble" meant in the Lopez-Pierce house. Quinn was going to be sleeping on her stomach for a few days.

_**Please review…..**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**Chapter 4**_

It had been a very long ride home for Quinn but she spent most of it pretending to be paying attention to her mama's long and repetitive lecture while actually thinking about the infuriating Sam Evans. She had dismissed him as just being another guy on the make but he turned out to be more than that. He was kind and attentive and more intelligent than his J Crew persona implied. She looked at the black polish on her fingernails and wondered if he had a point about her wearing a uniform.

'Oh god, my nose ring!' Quinn was jerked out of her reverie by the disturbing thought, 'Maybe nobody noticed.' Bending forward at the waist, she quickly removed the small diamond and pocketed it; grateful she hadn't put the hoop in on the way to school this morning. She knew the bangles would just make noise, so she left them alone.

Santana noticed her oldest daughter's furtive movement and nearly laughed out loud as she realized that Quinn just remembered the nose ring. The Latina wasn't sure if her blonde wife noticed or not but Santana had a moment of pity for Quinn and decided to talk to her privately later. Looking in the rearview mirror Santana noticed a similar look of amusement on Rachel's face and rolled her eyes as she realized Rachel knew about the piercing already.

She was happy that her girls, despite their outward hostility at times, still covered for each other. As a criminal prosecutor, she saw what trouble other teens were getting into and she was thankful beyond belief that despite their abhorrent attitudes, they were both good kids and apparently still loved each other; although they did hide that part pretty well.

It was part of the reason her and Brittany were both so strict with the girls. They had freedom up to a point. It was why Quinn was allowed to dress as she wanted although it bugged Brittany beyond belief to see her beautiful blonde daughter covered in sacks and heavy black makeup, pink hair and wearing army boots.

It was why Rachel was supported in her desire to pursue a career on Broadway even if her lawyer mother would never understand her ambitions. Quinn and Rachel were loved and wanted, nurtured and supported but they both knew the rules and the consequences for breaking them.

Santana mused how lucky they truly were. While the children of her peers were into drugs and alcohol, petty crime and teenage pregnancies her daughters had never been in any serious trouble of consequence. She was grateful for that since both her girls were strong, independent and passionate young women with strong personalities and opinions.

Santana knew that the family rules, Brittany's firm hand, her temper and a certain family heirloom hairbrush were all part of the reason for their success as parents. The Latina was strict as well but Brittany was the primary disciplinarian, she was just home more than Santana. The Latina stepped up when needed and although she was one of the most feared lawyers in all of Allen County, she was a sucker for tear-filled milk chocolate or hazel eyes. Pouty lower lips and quivering chins from her daughters were definitely Santana Lopez-Pierce's kryptonite. Still Santana had handed out her fair share of spankings. She had been an absolute terror growing up, and had done far worse things as a teenager than either of her girls. She was grateful neither of her girls were like that, but then again, they had loving parents. The Latina had not. Santana was Brittany's wingman and they always presented a united front with the girls.

Neither parent liked having to resort to spanking the kids but it worked for their family and Santana and Brittany both knew their girls understood how loved and supported they were, even if they weren't ever going to be perfect.

Santana reached over and took Brittany's warm hand in her own and held it tightly conveying her love and support to her adored blonde wife. Beautiful crystal blue eyes met her wife's loving gaze and the blonde smiled effortlessly. She had loved Santana Lopez since they met in kindergarten. In the beautiful Latina she had a true partner and she could think of no one better to be the mother to her children. Feeling the gentle squeeze of support from her wife's hand, the tall blonde felt herself instantly relax and instinctively knew everything was going to be alright.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn had gently shaken a sleeping Rachel awake upon their arrival home. If she wasn't so worried about being in trouble it would have been highly amusing. Rachel never could stay awake for long in a moving car. Quinn had no idea how the girl was ever going to get a driver's license.

She moodily followed her mothers' into the kitchen from the attached garage and silently handed over her cell phone to her tall blonde mother who was standing imperiously with her hand outstretched.

Santana sighed, "You can have it back only during school hours, I don't want you away from the house without a way to call home. It stays off and in your purse at all times unless you need it for an emergency. Every evening it goes back to me or your mama. Do not let me catch you using it on restriction. Is that clear young lady?"

The teenager nodded glumly, "Yes ma'am."

Brittany looked at her steadily, "Go on up to bed, we'll talk tomorrow." She accepted a hug and kiss from a nervous Quinn and a drowsy Rachel and hugged and kissed them both lovingly despite her anger and disappointment, "Quinn make sure your sister makes it to her bed and doesn't fall asleep on the bathroom floor again."

The teen smirked but answered with a prudent, "Yes Ma'am." and tiredly trudged upstairs after her sister.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

An hour later and Brittany was lying in bed curled up against her lovely wife with her head on her chest and Santana running her fingers through the long blonde hair. Each woman was occupied by their own thoughts.

Brittany sighed heavily again, the third time in the last half hour. Santana enquired softly, "What is it babe, what's wrong?"

"Have you not been paying attention Santana, we are losing our oldest child." The blonde said shakily.

"Oh babe, we are not losing Quinn, she is smart and stubborn and she's rebelling a little, we just let her know tomorrow, she's gone a little too far. It will be fine." Santana continued stroking Brittany's hair comfortingly while she thought of all the things that had gone wrong for poor Quinn and started to chuckle lightly finally giving in to laughs.

The blonde picked her head up and looked at her wife as if she lost her mind, "I have no idea what you think is funny about anything that happened today Santana." Brittany gently scolded which made Santana laugh more.

Not wishing to start an argument, Santana quickly explained how Quinn had called the office looking for Holly and got her mom instead, "Only our daughter would skip school to go to an art show and have her alternator die and strand her in Toledo of all places." She was laughing as she explained, "I can only imagine the look on her face when I answered the phone." By now Brittany was smiling as well.

Santana continued, "Poor Quinn, she really should have just stayed in bed this morning, everything she touched just turned to shit."

The blonde huffed, "Poor Quinn my foot, you do realize if the car hadn't died we would have had no clue that our oldest child was driving around Ohio all day being a delinquent and meeting college boys?"

"No worries on that score, I nipped that in the bud straight away, I used my scary lawyer face." Santana chuckled still finding Quinn's dilemma a little humorous now they were all home safe and sound, "Sam Evans won't be sniffing around any time soon. Too bad it hasn't worked so far on Finn Hudson." She sighed.

The brunette looked down at her concerned wife, "What is it babe? What are you so worried about?"

"I'm just so worried about Quinn, she just doesn't seem happy to me," The blonde sat up and faced her wife, crossing her legs Indian style and putting her hand on Santana's thigh, "I want Quinn to join the Glee Club with Rachel. She needs some nice friends San besides that Puck boy and Mack and the rest of them."

Santana sighed and scooted back to sit up and face her wife with her back against the headboard, "Babe, she's a sixteen year old girl, they're all moody, haven't you seen Twilight? Not a happy teenager in the bunch in that stupid movie." She grumbled, "Besides, I'm not sure how forcing her to join Glee Club is going to go over, that's kind of Rachel's domain." She said carefully, "We can't ban her from seeing her friends, Mack is her best friend and Puck is like a brother to her. If we force her away from them B, she will just sneak and lie to see them. She needs them honey. Besides, Quinn has no interest in the Glee Club."

"That's just the point," Brittany said exasperatedly throwing her arms up, "She has no interest in anything. She quit cheerleading, she quit sports, she quit dancing classes and she hasn't filled all that time and space with anything new or healthy. Clearly she has too much free time on her hands which you and I both know she spends doing god knows what under those bleachers."

"I don't know B, forcing Quinn into Glee is more of a punishment for Rachel and that nerdy Mr. Shuester don't you think? Look I agree with you, I don't like that she just quit all her former interests. Why don't we give her a choice of activities and let her choose an afterschool activity?"

"I really want her in Glee Club. Can we at least try it? She has a beautiful voice, she is such a graceful dancer and it would give her a healthy outlet for all these feelings she is carrying around inside. Please Santana, I really feel strongly about this." The blonde practically begged.

Santana studied her wife for a long moment, Brittany was never demanding or unreasonable and had great instincts, especially where the kids were concerned and the Latina always trusted her, "Of course B if you feel that strongly about it but you are telling Rachel, not me."

The blonde patted her wife's thigh, "Thanks for supporting me you big chicken!" She rolled her sky blue eyes as the Latina got all flustered and sat there with her arms crossed and a petulant look on her face.

Brittany was back lying down when Santana smacked her sharply on her backside, "I'm a badass not a chicken and don't ever forget it."

The two laughed as Brittany fired off a crisp, "Yes Ma'am!"

"Good, we'll tell them after dinner tomorrow evening. I'm going to deal with Quinn when she gets home from school while Rachel is at Glee and Cheerios practice. Will you be home for dinner?"

"Of course babe, I'll make sure I'm home and we can talk to Quinn together. Are you comfortable punishing her by yourself? I have court but maybe I can skip out a little early."

"It's fine, I can handle it. I just want both of us here to talk to her after dinner." The blonde leaned up and kissed her wife gratefully, "I know you think I'm overreacting San but I just really have a strong feeling about all this."

"I don't think you're overreacting, I think you're a wonderful wife and mother Brittany. We are all lucky to have you." Santana sighed, "There is one more thing I wanted to talk to you about though."

Brittany yawned, "Hmmm, what's that?"

"Rachel has been riding to school alone in the car with that big jock, Hudson."

"Oh, I'm sorry San I told her she could. I meant to talk to you about it and it just slipped my mind." Brittany said softly.

"I don't like it; I've been making Quinn follow the rule. It's not fair that Rachel doesn't have to."

"Ok, we'll tell Rachel tomorrow." Brittany and Santana both yawned loudly, raising teenage girls was exhausting.

"I love you Santana."

"I love you too babe."

Within minutes they were fast asleep.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn knew she had to come straight home from school and while school usually dragged on forever, today it just flew by. She was back riding the school bus home with no car available and it was sheer torture.

She had to endure all the name calling and idiot jocks jostling her until she was ready to explode in anger. Arriving first and sitting right behind the bus driver would solve most of the torture but it was such a chicken shit move and she was a Lopez-Pierce. Hiding behind the bus driver was beneath her. All she could do was pray the car was fixed quickly and she wasn't grounded from it for too long.

Mack had offered her a ride but she had a feeling her mama would ask her about the ride home and she wasn't going to dig her grave any deeper by lying.

Walking into the house she called out, "Mama? I'm home."

Brittany walked out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a dishcloth, "Hi sweetheart, how was school?" She walked up and brushed the hair out of her daughter's beautiful green-gold eyes and kissed her gently on her forehead.

"It was ok; the bus ride home was full of idiot jocks trying to tick me off. Would it be ok if I catch a ride from Puck and Mack until I'm ungrounded? Please, I cannot ride with those cretins anymore without getting expelled." She said sincerely and desperately.

Brittany saw her oldest was really stressed so she hugged her tight and kissed the top of her spikey pink hair, "Let me talk to Mom about it and we'll see what we can come up with alright sweetie?"

"Thanks Mama." She said gratefully, her parents were firm but always fair, that was something both she and Rachel could always count on.

Brittany rubbed her back gently, "I need you to go get changed for me please and meet me in the den." She felt her daughter stiffen and it made her feel badly even though she knew the teen had made her own bad choices. The old adage of it hurts me more than it hurts you always applied when Brittany and Santana had to discipline their daughters.

Quinn headed upstairs to her room with a heavy heart and a very anxious belly.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany was seated on the couch in the den when Quinn knocked and entered slowly, clearly nervous. She had successfully avoided being spanked for some time and was kicking herself all day.

Brittany looked up thoughtfully, Quinn had put on a pair of her old gym shorts and a baggy tee shirt and looked like a lost little girl and the mother had to clear a lump from her throat, "Quinn please sit at the desk please, I'm going to give you an hour to write out what you would like to say about what happened yesterday. You know what I would like to see from you."

The teen knew the drill, she sat down and grabbed the blank pad of college ruled paper and the pen and started with her tormenting her sister and ended with her handing her phone over in the kitchen last night. Her parents wanted to understand her thought processes and motivations and what different choices she could have made. Actually Quinn had hated this part of the punishments at first, but she actually came to appreciate the writing part. She soon found that her parents didn't censor her writing, they just wanted the truth. It was freeing to write her version of what happened and open up just a little about what she thought about her day.

Her punishment was set and she understood that but this gave her an opportunity to present her side of things without having to say it all out loud, something she was incapable of doing anyway. The only thing was she did feel the need to keep some of what happened at school out of her dialogue. She couldn't really express the daily abuse her and the Skanks dealt with from the jocks without involving Rachel, and that she would not do. As much as she fought with Rachel and hated her current set of values; popularity and the like, she wouldn't sacrifice her to save her own ass. A decision she was sure she would be regretting soon enough.

She stood up and handed the pad of paper to her Mama and stood in front of her as she read it carefully, "I'm confused as to why you felt the need to skip school Quinn." Brittany looked up thoughtfully, really wanting to understand.

The teenager stood before her tall blonde mother and internally debated with herself how much to reveal about her true feelings, "After I got all defensive and disrespectful about the tattoo and stormed out, I was pretty upset and wound up," She looked into her Mama's clear eyes and saw encouragement and interest so she continued, "Sometimes I get a lot of crap from the jocks about the way I dress and my hair and makeup. I just knew if one of them said something to me I would haul off and punch one of them and get suspended or something and I knew it would be bad. They seem to have this radar to push my buttons when I need it the least." She finished truthfully.

Brittany set down the pad of paper and leaned forward seriously, "Are you being bullied at school Quinn? I want an honest answer. Your mother and I will not tolerate any of our children being bullied and we can support you but you have to tell us."

Quinn smiled softly and shook her head, "I'm not being bullied Mama honest, it's just the idiot jocks being stupid boys. I was just really upset and …." She just let the sentence drop off as she looked at her mother, "Sometimes it is very hard to avoid those jerks."

"What could you have done differently?"

The teen just shrugged, "l should have just gone to class but I really would have clocked one of those clowns."

Brittany looked at her daughter fondly, sometimes she really was just like a teenage Santana, "Next time you call me or your mother and you explain how you're feeling, I can't guarantee you can stay home every time you want to, but I certainly understand needing a break now and then. Now about the tattoo, I am very unhappy that you have that and you got it without permission from an adult, which is illegal by the way. I expect a 5 page paper on the history of tattoos, the dangers involved with getting them and the techniques used to have them removed. I also want included in that the legal information about getting tattoos. I expect the well thought out, finished paper in my hands before bedtime tomorrow evening. Also, we will be seeing a doctor about having it removed."

"But Mama, that's not fair…."

"But nothing Quinn Cordelia, end of discussion."

She stood up and walked over and pulled the desk chair into the center of the room, "From what you wrote I see you understand why you are being punished?"

"Yes Ma'am." Quinn said looking down at the carpeted floor, her face flushed with embarrassment, "I am sorry; especially for yelling at you and for storming out instead of talking. I already apologized to Rachel for torturing her yesterday morning." She said softly.

It was another way she was like her mother, she did understand when she crossed the line and was quick to admit her faults and make amends if she really felt she was wrong, unlike her younger sister who was still more immature and quicker to blame others rather than look inside herself. Quinn was good at self-examination, perhaps too good and that worried her Mama as well, but both girls did have the Lopez temper.

Brittany set the hairbrush on the floor and Quinn felt her stomach twist into knots of anxiety and waves of panic at the sight of the hated implement. She had a brief thought of running for the door but took a deep breath and waited for instructions from her mother.

The tall blonde sat down on the wooden chair and patted her lap, "Let's get this over with so we can move on with a fresh start. We don't need all this hanging over our heads any longer."

Quinn forced herself to drape herself over her mother's lap and tried not to hyperventilate, she was very nervous.

"I'm very disappointed that it's come to this Quinn. I hope that we don't have a repeat of this type of behavior anytime soon." Brittany said sorrowfully, making Quinn feel even worse.

Brittany didn't continue to lecture; she always let her hard hand and the hairbrush do her talking for her.

She placed a firm hand on her daughter's lower back as she started the hand spanking over Quinn's shorts. After a good five minutes of firm thorough warm up, the tall blonde hooked her fingers into her daughter's shorts and panties and pulled them down to the back of her knees.

Quinn twisted around, looking up at her mother in humiliation, "Please not bare Mama, please, I'm sorry for everything but please not bare." She tried to hold in her tears, but she felt just like a naughty little girl again.

"I'm sorry Quinn but spankings in this house are over the knee and bare bottomed and you are well aware of that fact. I would hope next time you would remember that before you set out to break nearly every single rule we have in a single day." She placed her arm around the teen's waist and held her tight as she increased the velocity and strength of her firm, hard, hand spanks.

With her bottom rapidly approaching a deep hot pink, the teen was crying openly. She hated the swats to her very sensitive sit spot at the base of her backside and knew as her mother paid attention to that area, the hairbrush was coming soon.

Brittany stopped and had her daughter hand her the brush that was lying on the floor in front of her. The girl's breathe shuddered as she sobbed and picked it up and handed it to her Mama. She felt herself being brought back into position; she must have tried to wriggle off the maternal lap as she was being warmed up.

The tall ex-dancer hooked a long slender leg over her daughter's and tightened her hold on her midsection as she brought the brush down hard right in the middle of the already sore flesh. The very distinct sound of hard wood on bare flesh echoed around the room as Quinn sucked in a surprised gasp and cried out.

Before she even had time to register the first strike, the second and third had fallen. Her Mama kept up the punishing rhythm as the teen attempted to keep some modicum of dignity. She quickly lost all hope of keeping her cool as the hot fire of the punishment blossomed on her backside and she bucked and kicked and cried and apologized. No longer interested in how she looked or sounded; only interested in getting this over with.

Brittany had ignited a fire in Quinn's backside and her well-practiced hand kept the fire burning. She was determined to teach a lesson to her oldest.

After a series of ten very rapid hard swats that covered her entire bottom, the girl wailed pitifully, "I'm sorry Mama; please no more, I won't skip ever again, or talk back." Brittany brought the brush down rapidly another six times, all down on her very tender sit spots.

"Ow, ow, ow owie Mama ow please no more, no more I'm so sorry." She cried and kicked. Quinn was embarrassed by the noise and fuss she was making but this spanking hurt. She finally just gave up and lie spent over her mother's lap, she had no fight left. Her hiccups mixed with her sobs.

Brittany rubbed her back gently and let the girl cry and collect herself a little before helping her into a standing position in front of her. The girl tried desperately not to reach back and rub, that would bring more punishment to her already chastened backside. She was collected into a warm hug and rocked as she let go and cried.

They stood like this for about ten minutes as Quinn received all the love and support her Mama had to give. When she had calmed down, she was directed to the corner as always and given an opportunity to collect herself and think about the reason for her sore backside. Brittany sat down on the couch and watched as her daughter stood in the corner quietly with her hands clasped behind her back for a full half hour. Every few moments, Brittany would secretly wipe away a tear of her own.

When the time was up, Brittany walked over and collected her daughter from the corner and hugged and kissed her again, "Why don't you go lie down in your room for a while, I will have your Mom or Rach get you when it's time for dinner. I'm very proud of you darling and I love you very much." She said softly as she cupped her daughter's red tear-stained face gently and wiped away tears with her thumbs. She leaned over and kissed her tenderly and helped her get dressed again.

"I love you too Mama and I'm so very sorry." Quinn said genuinely.

"Oh baby, I know that, and you are totally forgiven sweetheart. Let's just put this behind us and try harder next time." She deposited a sweet kiss on her oldest daughter's forehead.

The punk girl headed upstairs to lie down before she had to contemplate sitting down for dinner and deal with her family who all knew what had happened to her this afternoon.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

She must have fallen asleep because she heard her door open and her mother walk in and sit on the edge of her bed. It had to be late; her mother had trial this week. She smelled the spicy earthy fragrance that was her mother and felt her bangs being gently moved out of her eyes.

"Hey sleepy head, time for dinner." Her mother said softly as she bent over and kissed her cheek lovingly.

Quinn opened her eyes and looked up at her mother, "Please can I just stay in here, mommy please, it's so embarrassing that everyone knows I was spanked today like a little kid."

"No baby girl I'm sorry but your Mama and I have some things we need to discuss with you and Rachel tonight. No one is going to make fun of you sweetheart. Rachel says one word and she will find herself in the same predicament I guarantee. Now, wash that pretty face and come downstairs for dinner. Besides it's not like everyone at that table hasn't been spanked at least once in their lifetime."

She helped Quinn sit up and grimaced in sympathy when the girl groaned in pain when her backside came in contact with the firm mattress. The girl was walking to the bathroom when her mother spoke up, "Oh and the nose ring? I don't want to see that on your face again, got it?"

The girl was too sore and too tired to argue, "Yes mommy. I'll throw it away."

"Good girl, I'll see you downstairs." Santana smirked and left to give Quinn some privacy.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Dinner had been a quiet solemn affair. Santana and Brittany had already informed Rachel that she couldn't ride in the car alone with Finn and she seethed and blamed her older sister. She didn't know how, but she was sure it was Quinn's fault. Rachel was brooding about it the entire dinner. Quinn was embarrassed and in pain, so she didn't have much to say either.

Brittany waited until the dishes were clear to inform Quinn she was joining the Glee Club. The teen sat there staring blankly, this was worse than the spanking, she couldn't join that group, and she wouldn't join that group, to sit and face Finn Hudson smirking at her every day. It was unbearable.

Before she had a chance to say a word though Rachel exploded, "She can't join Glee Club, that's my club. I'm the president, I'm the star! I refuse to allow her and her Skanks to ruin my Club." She yelled loudly, startling the other three at the table.

Santana turned swiftly to face her diva daughter, "Rachel Barbra Lopez-Pierce, you will not use that tone in this house and especially not with your Mama and me." She said firmly without raising her voice but being scary just as well.

The diva stood up and proceeded to throw a complete temper tantrum replete with foot stomping and arm waving and histrionics, "I swear all of you are trying to ruin my life, Glee Club is my way out of Lima and onto Broadway. How could you do this to me? I hate you, I hate all of you!" She screamed as Brittany stood up, spun her youngest around and delivered four hard spanks to her skirt clad backside as Rachel tried to twist away from her Mama's punishing hand.

"Ow Mama that hurts, that's not fair. Why am I being punished when you are ruining my life?" She sobbed theatrically as Quinn rolled her eyes, not feeling very sympathetic when she sat there with an ass that had its own heartbeat.

Brittany bent over and got face to face with Rachel to get her youngest daughter's attention, "I will remind you young lady to show your mother, sister and I some respect. We don't say hate in this house; we don't throw tantrums either unless you want a spanking. Now are you going to calm down and listen or am I going to turn you over my knee right here and right now? Make your choice." Brittany finished calmly.

Quinn nearly laughed as Rachel sputtered indignantly looking at both her mothers' hoping for a little support but finally sitting down with a huff as she crossed her arms petulantly.

"Good choice," Santana said dryly as her youngest flashed her mom a dirty look, "Brittany, please continue." She said with a warning look to the cheerleader.

"Quinn I understand that Puck and Mack are your friends and we respect that but you quit dance, sports, singing, cheerleading and you hardly ever use your camera or draw anymore. Your mom and I are worried about you. You need to make friends, more friends, nice friends." She held up a supplicating hand when Quinn opened her mouth to protest, "We are not forbidding you from seeing your friends but you have too much time on your hands that you spend alone and so you are going to be in Glee Club. It's already been taken care of, you start tomorrow. Mr. Shuester knows to expect you and I will be promptly notified if you fail to show up."

Santana faux whispered to her pink haired daughter, "Just in case you haven't caught on that would be a very serious mistake on your part."

Once again Rachel interjected, "So that's it? I get no say so whatsoever?"

The Latina looked at her youngest, "No you get no say so, in case you have failed to notice your Mama and I are in charge here not you. Now I've had enough of your selfish attitude young lady and you need to go to your room before you really dig yourself into a hole." She ordered sternly waiting for the inevitable diva storm out and Rachel didn't disappoint.

"May I be excused please?" Quinn asked politely.

"I know you don't want to do this Quinn but please try to keep an open mind. We love you." Her Mama said as Quinn fixed her face into a polite mask and went upstairs to bed.

"Well that went well." Santana said sarcastically as Brittany sadly watched Quinn head upstairs.

"I know but it may help draw her out San and we need to enforce this ok?"

"Of course B, we'll give it some time and see what happens." Santana looked mischievously at her wife, "Now about your other daughter…."

Brittany huffed loudly, "Oh I don't know what we are going to do about that attitude of hers but I am so over her sense of entitlement. She is very close to getting her bratty little backside in very hot water."

Santana nodded her agreement, she closed her eyes and sighed, she was no psychic but she saw fireworks in the Lopez-Pierce house in the near future.

Rachel had been discretely waiting for Quinn at her bedroom door. She waited until Quinn got close and hissed at her, "This is all your fault, and I am going to make your life miserable! You think you can ruin my Glee Club? I know that it's your fault I can't ride alone in the car with Finn anymore either. You want war? You got it Quinn! Don't say I didn't warn you." She stomped to her dramatically.

Quinn smirked when she saw Rachel refrain from slamming the door. She shook her head and sighed, "What a shit day this has been." She closed her door, put on her headphones and lay face down on her bed and tried to forget all about tomorrow.

_**Please review…**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**There is a flashback in this chapter (bold and italics) that contains a scene of what I would consider non-con sex it may trigger someone- be warned and read the flashback at your own risk. **_

_**Chapter 5**_

This had been among the top five bad days Quinn could ever remember having. Rachel had not taken the news of her older sister joining Glee Club sitting down. For the first time ever, Quinn had been slushied. She had been outside her locker after lunch when a few of the football jocks caught her unaware. Rachel hadn't been there, but nothing happened without the knowledge of the head cheerleader. It had hurt the blonde more than she was willing to admit. She didn't know why Rachel was punishing her; joining fucking Glee Club was definitely not her choice, and Rachel knew it.

Mack helped her get cleaned up in one of the infrequently used bathrooms near the industrial arts section of the school. It had become Skank headquarters since late last year when Quinn, Mack and Sheila claimed it. Mack was seething, "That little fucking bitch. How dare she do this to you? It's not your goddamn fault Brittany won't listen to reason." She fumed, "She needs a taste of her own medicine, see how she likes it."

Quinn was grateful for Mack's indignation; she didn't feel safe to feel it herself. She still had the whole afternoon ahead of her. She still had to attend Glee Club and deal with seeing Finn "fucking" Hudson again. Not to mention dealing with Rachel and her histrionics. The blonde needed to keep a clear head. It was not going to be easy.

Both teenagers jumped when someone burst through the bathroom door, banging it loudly against the wall.

"What the fuck Puckerman?" Mack yelled loudly, irritated by being frightened at his abrupt entrance; her voice echoing around the tile bathroom.

"Who did this Q?" He said scarily, "Tell me who I have to hurt!" He was pacing the bathroom floor in a complete rage.

Mack scoffed, "You don't know? It was Hudson's bootlickers. Which means it was the head cheer cunt herself who sent the order down from on high."

Puck stopped pacing and stood there staring at Mack in disbelief while Quinn softly scolded her friend, "Don't call her that Mack. She's hurt and she's just lashing out. Besides, she doesn't know everything, remember? I would bet this was Finn's idea, more than Rachel's."

The mohawked boy stomped over to Mack and Quinn, "You're telling me Rachel ordered this? I don't believe it, she wouldn't do that. We all know Hudson's a dick but I can't believe Rach would do something like this to you Q." He said incredulously, "And what doesn't she know?"

Quinn laid a soft hand on Puck's hard muscled forearm to calm the boy and said, "My moms are making me join Glee Club so I can make some nice friends," She rolled her eyes as Mack burst out laughing at that, "and Rachel doesn't agree with their decision. She'll get over it."

Mack scoffed at her best friend's understatement and shook her head in irritation, handing Q a bag with the spare clothes she always kept handy.

"Thanks guys, now please, go to class. I'm fine. As soon as I get changed, I'll be right behind you." She saw the hesitation in both their eyes, "Jesus, go already! I've been dressing myself for a long time now. I don't need you to hold my hand." She commanded angrily and they nodded and left Quinn to get changed.

Quinn put her back against the wall and slid down to the floor, she didn't want to think about Finn Hudson and freshman year but it was when everything changed, it was when Quinn changed.

_**Flashback – 1 year ago**_

_Quinn Lopez-Pierce sashayed down the hall of McKinley High in her Cheerios outfit, her tight red skirt and high tight ponytail swaying and she just knew it was the start of something awesome. It felt good to see people in the hallways stop and stare at her. It was a pleasant shot to her confidence when the halls parted and people moved out of her way. She was surrounded at all times with girls who claimed to be her best friends. She was the crown princess of McKinley High and she reveled in it._

_She loved the physical workouts as much as the popularity. She pushed herself to be the very best. That meant going above and beyond what others were willing to do. She ran those extra suicides. She led the junior squad in painful workouts. She spent extra hours practicing dance moves and gymnastic routines. All in the name of perfection, and it was getting her noticed; by coaches, teachers, students and boys._

_Rachel was a Cheerio with her sister, and she longed to be captain. Quinn wanted her younger sister to be captain. The blonde felt bad that sometimes Rachel's talent and beauty sometimes got ignored in the attention people gave Quinn. The injustice and unfairness bothered Quinn. She just knew Rachel would shine as head cheerleader with Quinn as her second in command. The Lopez-Pierce girls would rule the school. It felt delicious. It was exhilarating and exciting._

_Finn Hudson had noticed Quinn as well. He was tall and handsome and quarterback of the Junior Varsity squad. So he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. It meant something to be courted by the quarterback. And Finn Hudson was buzzing around Quinn like a bee to a succulent flower. He hadn't asked her out yet but it was only a matter of time. They were a perfect fit for a high school couple; handsome, popular quarterback and tall, blonde cheerleader. Quinn felt it was fated._

_She flirted with the boys on the football team wildly and laughed freely. It was fun being on top of the school. She was young, pretty, confident and smart. It felt like she had the world by the tail, until she didn't anymore._

_It had all crumbled so fast. _

_Rachel had gone out of town to a singing competition and both of her mothers' went with her. Quinn was spending the weekend with her best friend Mercedes Jones, who was on the Cheerio dance squad. The cute mohawked football player, Noah Puckerman was having a huge party at his house and the blonde knew this was a chance of a lifetime. Her mothers' would never have allowed her to attend a party like that if they were in town, so Mercedes and Quinn convinced the more laid back Mrs. Jones to let them attend._

_Mercedes was crushing on Puck, so she was open to going. Quinn was just ecstatic to be at a real live high school party without worrying about her mothers' insane curfews and cumbersome rules for once._

_The two friends spent hours getting ready, listening to music and talking about boys and clothes. Quinn felt pretty and relaxed and was anxious to dance and be carefree. She planned on having a lot of no holds barred fun tonight._

_Mercedes had told her mom they would be sleeping over their other friend Tina's house. It wasn't true; Tina wasn't even invited to this party. They intended to get a little wasted and dance and stay up all night long. They figured what Mrs. Jones didn't know, wouldn't hurt her._

_They arrived dressed to the max and fashionably late. The party was already in high gear. Quinn entered the house and was engulfed in the heat and the loud thrumming of the music and the smell of a hundred kinds of cologne and perfume. It was intoxicating. Within minutes, someone had grabbed her coat, thrust a drink in her hand and pushed her onto the dance floor._

_Every single time she turned around, Quinn found herself pressed against a hot body with a new red solo cup in her hand. It was tropical in Puck's living room and she drank greedily to quench her thirst from her dancing exertions. She had a nice buzz going on and it felt good too. Feeling a bit overheated, she broke off from the crowd in the living room and headed into the kitchen._

_Pushing her way through a crowd of loud drunk jocks, she went to the sink and filled her cup with cold water and drank it down. She was smiling at the jibes and the bravado the large football players were shouting out at each other. _

_She turned back to the sink to look out the kitchen window. She saw a small bonfire burning and a few people gathered around it talking softly. She could smell the sweet lingering smell of marijuana wafting in the window on the breeze, as the people sitting around the fire passed a joint around. _

_Lost in thought, she was startled when Finn Hudson leaned against her back and whispered in her ear, "Hey Q, you look really hot tonight." Goosebumps formed on her arms as his warm breath wafted across the nape of her neck, "Wanna dance with me?"_

_Her took her hand and led her back into the hot, crowded living room. They were pressed tightly up against each other in the dizzying heat with the hard pounding bass of the music echoing in her chest. Quinn found herself being swept up in her surroundings. _

_Finn kept grinding on the blonde and handing her new and stronger drinks. He urged her to drink and complimented her when she did. Finn moved closer and put his knee between her legs and moved closer, nearly melding their bodies. The blonde could feel the throbbing in her core and could feel the evidence of Finn's arousal against her thigh and belly._

_Taking her by the hand he led her up the stairs, "Let's go somewhere we can talk."_

_She followed willingly, wanting to feel him grind against her, anxious to taste his mouth. For all her beauty and sophistication, Quinn didn't have much experience with the opposite sex and was still a virgin. She'd never really had a heavy make-out session before and the thought of finally seeing what it was all about was invigorating._

_Finn seemed to know where he was going. He pushed open a door to a dark room and walked confidently through it to turn on a dim night light. The boy had never let go of her hand. He sat her down on the bed and went over and locked the bedroom door. Quinn was aroused and excited to have been chosen by the most popular boy in her class. He lumbered back over and sat down heavily on the bed next to her. Her breath was coming in short pants; she was nervous as well as excited. She didn't want him to think she was some lame little girl. _

_Quinn tried to pretend she was one of those sophisticated and beautiful actresses from the old movies her mothers' watched sometimes; Grace Kelly, Lana Turner. They were cold, aloof and detached. They were always in charge; even in the heat of passion they never lost control. _

_She tried to project self-confidence even as her belly flipped and her insides trembled. In the dark room, sweaty and aroused, overwhelmed with hormones, Quinn knew she was drunk and vaguely aware she should not be in a locked bedroom alone with Finn Hudson. She had a fleeting vision of her mothers' disapproving faces. She pushed that aside. They would just have a little fun, she knew when to stop. She wasn't that drunk._

_Finn leaned in and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss. She kissed him back, granting his tongue access to her sweet, warm mouth. _

_He moved her back fully onto the bed. She let herself be positioned. _

_He removed her top and kissed and fondled her breasts. She helped him take off her bra. _

_He took off his shirt. She unbuttoned his jeans. _

_He kissed his way down her toned abs and circled her belly button sensuously with his tongue. She lifted her hips and allowed him to remove her panties. _

_He scooted down the bed and placed his head between her thighs. She parted her legs to give him access and played with his hair. He expertly licked and sucked and swirled his tongue between her slick folds and around her nub. She threw her head back and gasped in pleasure as she received her first orgasm ever. _

_He grabbed her hand and moved it to his shaft. She gave her first clumsy hand job ever and got him off quickly. _

_He moved up her body, positioning himself above her as he resumed kissing her passionately. She kissed him back with equal passion. _

_He cupped her sex with his large hands and parted her folds with his nimble fingers. She moaned loudly into his open mouth. He lined his shaft up at her entrance and tried to push the tip into her hot tight channel. She said no. _

_He gripped his member and pushed the tip in again. She said no more firmly and tried to roll away. _

_He kissed her hard and dropped his entire weight on her chest as he entered her forcefully. She cried out in searing pain and begged him to stop. He grabbed her hips hard enough to leave bruises and pounded into her. _

_She put both hands on his chest and tried to push him off of her. _

_He growled at her to shut up as he continued to fuck her hard. She tried to stop crying and imagine herself anywhere but where she was. With one last grunt, he came inside her and collapsed on her chest. _

_She wanted her moms._

_Finn sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on his jeans as she lie in the bed with the sheets clutched up around her shoulders. He looked back at her with disgust, "I don't know what the fuck you're complaining about, I got you off first."_

"_I didn't want to have sex with you. I just thought we were going to have some fun and make out a little." She said brokenly._

"_Oh please you knew exactly what was going to happen when you came up here with me. All you fucking Cheerios are such cock teases and sluts anyway. You led me on the whole time we were dancing. You were practically fucking my leg in the living room!" He stood up and pulled his jeans up and fastened them. He looked back at her dismissively, "You wanted it just as much as I did, so shut up and stop crying."_

_Quinn felt her face burning red with shame at his words, "No I didn't Finn. I've never done any of that before with anyone. I'm not a tease or a slut."_

_He barked out a laugh, "Yeah good luck getting anyone to believe that. You get up in front of a crowd every Friday half dressed in that skimpy cheer outfit and shake your ass for the entire population of Lima. You've been begging me for it since August. Do you think I'm stupid? I've watched you watching me in school. You came up here with me willingly, so don't give me any of that I didn't want it shit." He headed for the door and stopped before he opened it, "You weren't even any good at; I don't even know why I bother with fucking virgins. What a waste of a good buzz." He tossed casually over his shoulder. Shaking his head in disgust he slammed the door and left her alone with her guilt and shame in the dark room that smelled of sweat and sex and stale booze._

_Quinn carefully pulled herself up out of the bed with trembling aching legs. She felt like her insides had been torn apart and she was sore. Making her way to the bathroom she wiped away the thin trickle of blood and sticky white semen. Suddenly she lurched forward and threw herself on her knees in front of the toilet, emptying her stomach of its contents. She heaved until she thought she had turned herself inside out. Trembling all over, the disheveled blonde laid down on the cool tile floor trying to rein in her emotions. Suddenly she just wanted to go home. The blonde wanted her own bed. She wanted to be surrounded by familiar things and the comforting smell of home and her mothers. _

_Forcing herself to get dressed, she quickly made her way downstairs and out of the party unseen. She walked to her house, nearly three miles away. Her entire body ached as she walked. Tears rolled continuously down her face. Finally arriving, she let herself in with her key. She went up to her room and showered three times in near scalding water. Scrubbing until she was red and raw and sure all traces of Finn Hudson had been removed from her body._

_Putting on her favorite, most comforting flannel pajamas, she crawled into bed. She looked at the clock and saw it was after midnight but she picked up her phone and hit speed dial. Her mama answered on the second ring, it was clear she had been sleeping._

"_Quinnie? Baby? Are you alright? Are you sick?" Brittany said worriedly through a big involuntary yawn. Quinn heard her mom softly questioning her mama in the background._

"_I'm fine mama, I'm so sorry I woke you up. I just had a bad dream and wanted to hear your voice. I didn't realize it was so late. Please tell mom I'm ok." Her lie worked as she heard her mama instantly relax and then murmur reassurances to her mother._

"_It's ok sweetheart, you can call us anytime and wake us up you know that. We don't care what time it is. Do you want to talk about your bad dream baby?" Brittany spoke comfortingly to her eldest daughter from her bed in a motel room far away._

_Quinn snuggled down into the covers, "I don't remember a lot of it actually. I was just afraid and I wanted you and mommy and couldn't find you anywhere." She sniffed sadly sounding years younger than her current 15 years, "Mercedes and the rest of the house are sleeping and I felt weird waking them up over a bad dream." She lied easily, "I didn't want them to think I'm some kind of baby."_

_Brittany got up out of the bed, pulling the covers up over a softly snoring Santana. Looking over into the other double bed, she saw Rachel still sleeping soundly. She headed into the motel bathroom. She turned on the harsh light and closed the door quietly. Putting down the lid to the toilet, she sat down and gracefully crossed her legs. She was fully committed to sitting up all night long and talking to her daughter. Especially if that's what it took to remove the fear from her child's voice; a fear that had rarely if ever been in Quinn's voice. Quinn was her brave, wild girl. She had been fearless from birth. Something was off, but Brittany couldn't put her finger on it. She was going to find out, but didn't want to keep Santana and Rachel up all night if she didn't have to._

_The younger blonde curled up in a ball as she melted into her mama's sweet, reassuring, honeyed voice, "How did Rach do mama?"_

_Brittany laughed musically, "Our little star took first place, she sang like an angel Quinn."_

"_I bet she's over the moon huh?" Quinn said with a genuine smile on her face._

"_And back and driving your mother crazy with her talk of Broadway and Hollywood." Her mama said tenderly in a voice filled with love and pride, "How was your day today baby? We missed you."_

"_Oh you know, just girl stuff with Mercedes. Nothing very exciting; the mall, music, pizza and horror movies." Quinn said softly, at least this part was true. It had been what they had done all day. She wished she had never gone to that stupid party. It was all her fault. She had gone upstairs with him willingly. A small sob escaped her throat involuntarily at the thought of how disappointed her mothers' would be in her if they knew._

"_Baby please don't cry. What is it sweetheart? You can tell me anything?" Brittany was worried; this was not like her fierce blonde child. She was tough as nails like her mom and hearing her sound like this struck terror in her mama's heart._

_The blonde teenager managed a watery chuckle, "I'm never watching another scary movie again as long as I live." _

_The tall blonde narrowed her eyes involuntarily into a mama glare even if it was over the phone, "You most certainly are not if they are going to be affecting you like this."_

_Quinn chuckled as she could picture her mama's stern look even over the phone, "I love you mama." She said gratefully._

_Brittany smiled into the phone, spontaneous and heartfelt I love you's from teenagers was a rare thing indeed, "I love you too angel. Do you want me to come home baby? I can be there in two hours."_

_Quinn jolted at that, damn that is the last thing she needed. She needed to stop being such a fucking pathetic baby, "No mama, I'm fine I promise. If I get scared again, I'll go wake up Mercedes or Mrs. Jones I swear. It was just a stupid dream."_

"_You're sure Quinn, because it's not a problem….." _

"_I'm sure mama but I demand extra cuddles tomorrow at bedtime when you guys all get home. I call dibs." She said smirking causing her mama to laugh out loud at the thought of her independent, oldest child wanting bedtime cuddles, she hadn't asked for them since she was ten._

"_You got it and some special Latina tickles as well." Brittany said lovingly, "You're mom's tickles are the best."_

"_Ew mama, that's just too much information." The teenager groaned in the ageless ritual of not wanting to ever know anything about their parents' sex life._

_Brittany rolled her eyes; her Quinn was back, "Seriously though angel, I will keep the phone right by my side. If you need me at any time tonight, you promise to call me back?"_

"_I promise but I'm starting to get really tired. I'm pretty sure I can sleep now. Thanks for talking to me mama."_

_Brittany responded softly, "Of course baby, I love you forever, I like you for always." She said quoting Quinn's favorite childhood story, "As long as you're living, my baby you'll be." She blew kisses over the phone._

_It was a special message between Brittany and Quinn. Her mama would write it on notes and put it in her lunch box, tell it to her when she tucked her in at night. It always touched the blonde teen, but it was desperately needed and very much appreciated tonight, "Good night mama!"_

"_Good night angel."_

_Quinn woke up to the sound of her cell phone blowing up. She blearily looked at the phone and saw four messages and four missed calls from Mercedes. The blonde couldn't believe she slept through all that noise._

_Calling Mercedes she arranged to meet the girl so they could go to the Jones residence together._

_She quickly made her way the bathroom, almost forgetting about what had happened last night until she saw the huge hickey on her neck. Fuck, her mothers' would flip out if they ever saw that thing and just the sight of it made her feel sick all over again._

_The blonde covered her hickey and bruises with makeup. She covered her pain by shoving it deep inside and went about as if nothing had happened._

_Six weeks had gone by quickly. Quinn had changed overnight. At least that's what her mothers' believed. She didn't want to be a cheerleader anymore; she said it was stupid and boring. She quit the ballet and modern dance classes she had been taking since she was six. In reality, it was hard to let them go, but she couldn't bear the tight, skimpy outfits and the way people stared at her body._

_The blonde had cut her beautiful long hair off into a short spikey cut. It didn't thrill her mothers' but it was a cute cut so they let it go. She gradually started to dress differently, in larger baggier, less form fitting clothes. Telling her mama, she was trying to find the style that matched her new emerging artistic personality. In reality, and unconsciously, she was trying to make herself less attractive. Cheerleader Quinn was vulnerable, this new Quinn was hard and fierce and no one fucked with her. She felt safer, more comfortable with herself. The walls went up, with her family and especially with strangers._

_She didn't tell anyone what happened at Puck's house. She did notice though that one day, Puck and Finn were no longer best friends. Finn had a fat lip and a black eye and Puck had skinned knuckles. _

_Quinn started to notice Puck talking to her more and always being around when she needed something. A close friendship quickly formed and Finn Hudson was never mentioned or discussed. Quinn had a feeling Puck suspected something and was protecting her. Puck respected her need for privacy and never brought up what he had heard Finn bragging about in the locker room._

_Early one morning, sitting in freshman biology class, talking about the gestation period of the human fetus, Quinn broke into a cold sweat. When was the last time she had a period? Fuck, fuck, fuck. She grabbed her phone and ran to the abandoned bathroom in the art wing. She was sitting on the toilet fully clothed in the handicap stall having a nervous breakdown when Mack and Sheila walked in. Quinn knew they called themselves the Skanks. They had a reputation for being brutal with outsiders. They didn't scare Quinn. She tried to stay silent while the two had a quick smoke. Sheila left but Mack lingered._

"_You can come out now; no one is going to bite you." Mack scoffed._

_Quinn squared her shoulders and slammed her way out of the stall, "I don't give a fuck if you do bite, I'll just bite you back." She said menacingly as she walked to the sinks, washed her hands and left the room without a backwards glance. She missed Mack's impressed and amused grin._

_The blonde was internally freaking out, terrified she was pregnant. She didn't know who to talk to. She was only fifteen years old; she had heard rumors about girls getting pregnant. Other than the science of sperm meets egg, Quinn was pretty clueless about the whole thing. Could someone get pregnant the first time they had sex? _

_She couldn't talk to Rachel. At this point, the younger sister still admired her and she didn't want to disillusion her. Mercedes had ended their friendship in a fit of jealous rage over all the sudden attention Quinn was getting from Puck. She was too embarrassed and ashamed of what happened to discuss it with Puck besides he was like a brother to her. Her mothers were absolutely out of the question. _

_It was a small town and she had no money so she couldn't risk buying a pregnancy test and being recognized. Her mother was a public figure in town, the prosecuting attorney, so it would be too risky to try to steal one. So every day she sat in the abandoned restroom and waited impatiently trying to force her period to come through sheer willpower alone._

_Mack started joining her everyday. Just for a quick smoke at first but soon the two damaged teens bonded over their feelings of aloneness and quickly forged a deep friendship. The friendship blossomed without either their knowledge or consent, it just happened. _

_Within two weeks Quinn had confided in Mack the events of the party and her fears of being pregnant. Mack had no mother and an alcoholic father so she walked into Walgreens and nicked two tests off the shelves, shoved them in her jean jacket and walked out, as big as you please. _

_The tests came back negative; all four of the original ones and then another four a week later. Mack took Quinn by bus two towns over to the Family Planning clinic and had her tested for STD's and got her signed up for free birth control pills. Quinn was eternally grateful to the tough girl and became one of The Skanks._

_Those girls became a haven for the ex-cheerleader, they didn't judge her, they accepted her and most importantly they seemed to like her for nothing other than herself. _

_One night Quinn and Mack dyed the blonde's hair bright pink and Mack's black hair bright blue and a sisterhood was formed._

_Santana urged Brittany not to freak out over Quinn's sudden about face, and let the girl experiment. It was harmless, her grades hadn't suffered. She had friends, she wasn't isolating in her room. She wasn't drinking or doing drugs. This was normal teenage angst and crap, Santana reasoned. To force an argument would push Quinn away from them. _

_Still though, late at night the blonde mother would remember Quinn's disconcerting phone call of a few months ago, and feel there was something she was missing. No matter how hard she or Santana tried, their eldest daughter had erected a wall and would not let them in._

_She didn't seem depressed to them but she never actually seemed happy anymore either._

_For Rachel's part, she was glad Quinn quit Cheerios. Now she had a shot at Head Cheerleader and Queen Bee of McKinley High, top of the food chain and she was ecstatic. She had lived her entire life being known as the less pretty sister and it was an eternal thorn in her side. If Quinn wanted to go all Goth and turn into a Skank that was no concern of Rachel's. She had a chance to be on top and she was going to take it._

_**End flashback **_

Quinn shook herself out of her reverie and lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. She hadn't taken another sip of alcohol since that night at Puck's party. She didn't do drugs either. As a matter of fact, she never did anything that put her in a position of complete vulnerability again. The cigarettes, though forbidden by both parents, helped her think.

Everything had been fine until Rachel had been named Head Cheerleader at the beginning of the year and started dating Finn "fucking" Hudson. She wished she had confided in her younger sister about Finn last year, she wouldn't believe her now. Rachel would just think she was jealous or some stupid fucked up shit like that.

She took another deep pull on her cigarette and let it calm her. She did everything she could to subtly discredit him to her mothers and was thrilled that the Latina hated him almost as much as Quinn did and certainly didn't trust him alone with her baby.

Rachel and Quinn were still not allowed to go to unsupervised parties where alcohol was present and parents weren't and they actually checked, so Rachel was still safe for a while. Quinn still kept a very close eye on her though. Without Rachel knowing of course, that would definitely not be appreciated.

Mack had told Quinn from day one that what Finn had done was rape, Quinn had said no, she tried to stop. Quinn wasn't sure if she believed that or not. Yes, she had said no to intercourse, but she had let things get to out of hand and go too far. Quinn felt dirty and ashamed because she had let Finn get all worked up and she herself had an orgasm. She really believed it was more her fault than his. Still she would end him if he ever pulled that shit on Rachel.

Finishing her cigarette and grinding the butt out with the heel of her boot, Quinn fixed her makeup and headed to class. Maybe being in Glee wouldn't be so bad if it gave her a chance to break up Rachel and Finn. Well, whatever, she was stuck anyway. It was what both her mothers' wanted so she had no option but to go and endure Finn's knowing smirk and leering winks.

Maybe she could pretend to really try for a bit and then go to her mom and try to get out of it. She'd have better luck with her brunette mom anyway. Her Latina mom hadn't seemed as married to the idea as her blonde mama. She'd just bide her time and bring extra clothes, until Rachel and her mama calmed down and she could go back to spending all her free time under the bleachers with her real friends. Not in the bathroom cleaning up after daily slushy facials.

_**To be continued… I hope you liked it and if you did, please drop me a quick review. **_

_**Book quoted is Love You Forever written by Robert Munsch**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**Chapter 6**_

Rachel skipped lunch and walked into the empty choir room. She looked around and found the sheet music she was looking for. Taking her seat, she delicately crossed her legs and started to peruse the folder for songs to make up a suitable set list. They really needed to try to come together as a team if they wanted to win anything.

Exhaling loudly, she slapped the folder down on the seat next to her and tried to hold back the tears that were on the verge of coming all day. She knew the football players had been giving daily slushy facials to her sister. Rachel hadn't ordered it, but she hadn't vetoed it either. Finn said it was necessary to get Quinn off the team, so she remained silent. Today had been the first time she saw it actually happen. It was horrific. She swallowed a huge lump in her throat as she remembered the look of pain and betrayal she saw in Quinn's eyes. Rachel saw the anger and disgust on Mack's face and she had actually felt ashamed of her behavior. As head cheerleader she should be protecting her sister, not torturing her.

She stood up and walked to the piano, sitting down she plunked out a tune with one finger absentmindedly, "Glee Club is mine, not hers." She thought to herself, "Yeah but mama made her; she doesn't want to be here either." She knew it wasn't Quinn's fault but it still made her angry. It was so aggravating. Rachel slammed both hands down on the keys, making a cacophony of chords. She didn't hear Finn come up behind her.

Rachel jumped when he put both hands on her shoulders, rubbing them seductively.

"What's the matter Rach?" he smirked at his girlfriend, as she placed her hand over her pounding heart.

She looked back at him, completely irritated, "Don't come up behind me like Finn. You scared me half to death; I nearly had a heart attack."

The tall jock took a step back and held both hands up in surrender, "So shoot me for trying to do something nice and surprise my girlfriend." He grumbled.

"I'm sorry Finn, you just startled me, I didn't mean to snap at you like that." Rachel immediately acquiesced. She didn't want to deal with Finn's anger. It could get explosive and it scared her at times.

"So what's wrong with you anyway?" He walked around the piano looking at the different folders of sheet music.

"Quinn actually." She admitted eyes downcast.

The jock turned suddenly and looked at her with narrowed eyes, "What about the skank?"

Rachel looked up quickly, brown eyes flashing angrily, "don't call her that."

Finn scoffed, "They call themselves that. What the fuck is your problem today?" He said with aggravation. Fucking girlfriends were too much work, but it was expected of the quarterback to date the head cheerleader. He just wanted to get drunk and get laid on the weekends and neither was happening with Rachel's mothers watching their every move, "Listen if you're going to be a fucking bitch, I'm gonna go find Matt and Mike and hang out." He started for the door.

"Wait, I'm sorry honey. It's just been a bad day." She called out apologetically.

Finn looked back and hesitated, maybe they could still make out before next period. He meandered back towards his girlfriend. He pulled her into his arms, as she sighed gratefully.

Rachel laid her head on his massive chest. His moods made her so insecure. She had never been around icy cold disdain. It made her act crazy. She was the cherished youngest daughter of two loving mothers. Her Latina mother had a temper, but it was always tempered with love when directed at her children. Her blonde mama was usually the most patient and loving person she had ever met. When she got upset, you could expect to be grounded, swatted or spanked but once the punishment was finished it was over. Even Quinn watched out for her, or at least she used to.

The cheerleader clung to the tall jock. Sometimes, she wasn't really sure he cared about her like she did him. He was so impatient with her, so intolerant of her faults. She had been despondent last year when Finn seemed to prefer Quinn. It was a miracle; he wanted her instead of her older sister. She loved him; she would do what it took to keep him. Rachel wasn't delusional; she knew he was not the best boyfriend. He didn't listen to her ideas nor did he act like he respected her opinions. Still, Finn chose her over her perfect sister, so she would make it work; even if his inattention wounded her at times.

Rachel understood she was high maintenance. She needed attention, like plants need the sun. That's why Glee was so important to her, fame was her destiny. She had known that since she was a little girl. She knew it was selfish, but she didn't want to share it with Quinn. At times, her sister's physical beauty had bothered her, but Rachel was secure in who she was. Her talent was glaring and she was confident in where she was headed. That was out of Lima and on the New York stage. Glee belonged to her; it was her stepping stone to fame and fortune. It meant nothing to Quinn and she didn't want to share the spotlight with anyone, let alone her older sister. Let Quinn find her own niche; Glee was hers.

"Hey Rach, lunch is almost over. Let's make out before we run out of time." He pushed her up against the piano and kissed her aggressively, letting his hands roam over her tiny form. Breathing heavily, he wished he could get her alone. She'd give him what he wanted.

Rachel just sighed and let him kiss her.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0- **_

Sheila, Ronnie, Mack and Quinn were seated on and around the couch under the bleachers. They were eating lunch, smoking cigarettes and talking quietly. Quinn still felt sticky, she had only been able to wash the lime slushy off in the bathroom sink. Sometimes she was able to sneak into the showers but today was not one of those days. She was getting irritated by the constant harassment but today she was more hurt than angry. Rachel had been standing at the outskirts of the crowd of jocks gathered around taunting her. She had tried to believe it was all Finn and not Rachel, but it couldn't be denied today. Her sister had stood there and watched her be humiliated. It hurt. At least her younger sister had the decency to look embarrassed.

Mack was quietly seething. She was seated on the back of the couch with her feet on the cushions, viciously smoking a cigarette.

Sheila had been speaking to her, "MACK! What the fuck is up with you today? I'm talking to you, are you listening?"

The brunette flipped her the bird and turned to Quinn, "I'm joining the fucking Glee Club with you."

Quinn choked on her apple, "You're what?" She looked at her friend like she was an alien, "Are you batshit crazy?

Ronnie laughed raucously, "Crazy like a fox."

Mack smirked at her friends, "We tell your tight ass sister unless the slushy facials stop, we will all join the Glee Club. That should just about give her an aneurysm. Having a room full of us Skanks soiling her perfect little club."

"I ain't joining no fucking song and dance club." Sheila grumbled.

Mack glared at the heavier black girl, "You are if I say you are." She stood up and started pacing, "It won't be necessary anyway. Once I make the threat, the slushies will stop. Do you think the little princess wants us to ruin her precious club?"

"You guys don't have to do that for me. I can handle this myself." Quinn felt herself becoming emotional, "Besides Puck is in Glee with me, he won't let anything happen."

Ronnie walked over to Quinn, "I'm can't carry a tune in a basket and I was born with two left feet, but you're a Skank now Lopez-Pierce and we stick together and protect our own. Besides my lack of any talent whatsoever should really annoy the shit out of the HBIC."

All four of the girls laughed at that and Quinn felt grateful. These girls had become her friends and she appreciated they way they were standing up for her, "Let me talk to Rachel tonight at home privately. She won't have to be the head cheerleader at home. Maybe I can convince her to get those stupid jocks to back off."

Mack chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully as she watched Quinn carefully. She knew Quinn was worried about Rachel with Finn. It was exactly what was worrying the brunette so much. It couldn't be healthy for her friend to have to stare at that lumbering rapist all afternoon and have him smirking at her. She really needed to be out of Glee, "It won't make any difference, but go ahead and talk to her. I'm telling you though, you get slushied tomorrow and my ass is in the choir room at exactly 3:15 ready to kick some ass." She warned angrily.

Quinn smirked, "Anyone ever tell you what a big softie you are?"

"Yeah, they're still looking for her body." She snuffed out the cigarette and flicked it away from her, "C'mon let's get to class."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Mack sat in Algebra class and watched Rachel and Finn. The little diva couldn't meet Mack's eyes and she was glad the girl felt guilty about what she was allowing. At first Mack thought Rachel was ordering the attacks on Quinn but now she saw it was Finn all along. Quinn had been right about that. She was still partially responsible for not putting a stop to the attacks though.

Finn had no problem meeting Mack's fiery gaze. He hated her and the rest of the Skanks. Looking over to make sure he had Mack's attention, he put his hand on Rachel's bare thigh and sensuously ran his hand up under her very short skirt. The diva was paying attention to the teacher and taking notes, so she casually swatted at his hand.

Every time Mack looked, he touched Rachel inappropriately. The brunette had no feelings for Rachel whatsoever but she was not cool with her being raped either. She looked away and closed her eyes. She was going to make sure this asshole got what was coming to him one way or another.

The bell rang and Mack got up and headed into the hallway. She could hear Rachel giggling and talking quietly to Finn. Looking up she saw Quinn standing by her locker, so she smiled and headed over to meet her friend. Finn saw the two and got even more irate. "How dare they judge him, stupid sluts." He saw a freshman with a slushy and he ripped it out of his hands and stalked over to them.

Rachel was surprised by his actions and wasn't sure what he was doing, until she noticed Quinn and Mack talking by the locker. She panicked. His intentions were clear. She just stood there like a deer in the headlights. If she yelled out and warned Quinn, Finn would be furious and he might even break up with her. She could lose everything she worked for. It was only a slushy, it was cold and it hurt but it was nothing compared to losing her status and her boyfriend. Rachel stood helplessly by and watched the scene in front of her unfold.

The two friends never saw it coming. Finn had hurled the slushy on both of them in a complete rage. They were shocked into inaction. He leaned close and hissed so only they could hear, "Don't fuck with me sluts; I am just the man to make your miserable lives completely unbearable. Rachel and I rule this school, don't forget it." He turned and walked over to Rachel. Pushing her up against the locker, her put both hands under her skirt and grabbed her ass as he kissed her aggressively. The little brunette was not against PDA but this was making her completely uncomfortable. She put both hands on his chest and tried to push him back. He had his mouth on hers and was hurting her. She turned her face away from his seeking mouth and tongue, "Finn, not in the hallway."

He growled and attacked her mouth with his own, seeking to dominate the much smaller girl.

Quinn was trying to wipe the freezing cold corn syrup mixture out of her stinging eyes. She was pissed off. Two attacks in one day was just ridiculous. It was then she noticed, the big oaf had her sister backed up against the lockers. She was trying to push him away. A red fog of rage descended over Quinn Lopez-Pierce and she launched herself at his back. He was hurting Rachel.

She landed on his back, kicking and screaming. Quinn grabbed his hair and yanked very hard, pulling his face off of Rachel's, "You're hurting my sister." She half-sobbed, she was so angry.

He tossed her off of him with no problem, "What the fuck!" He yelled in a blind rage. Quinn's back hit the locker and she fell to the floor, the wind knocked out of her.

Mack joined the fray, "You fucking bastard." She was trying to kick and punch the angry jock. It was a free-for-all.

Rachel ran over to Quinn, "Are you alright? What are you doing? He didn't hurt me." She was trying to help Quinn sit up and catch her breath." She looked over and saw Puck stalking down the hallway. This was about to get very bad.

Quinn stood up and pushed Rachel gently, "Get out of her Rach, there's about to be big trouble."

Rachel pushed past her sister and stood between Finn and Puck with her hands on her hips, "Noah Puckerman, don't you dare get involved in this."

Mack and Quinn walked over and stood by Puck as Rachel and Finn stood across from them. Mack shouted at Rachel, "This is all your fault you little bitch. I can't believe you stood there and let him slushy your own sister twice in one day. How do you sleep at nights?"

Rachel was shaking with indignation, she felt guilty but she didn't need Mack of all people calling her on it, "Get out of my face, it was a slushy it wasn't acid. Besides, when she quits Glee it all ends. Come on Finn, let's get out of here."

Finn smirked at the three, "Yeah it smells like trash over here." He put his hand on Rachel's ass and turned to leave and ran right into Principal Figgins.

"No one is going anywhere, I want all of you in my office now." He said sternly, pointing in the direction he expected them to go.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel and Quinn were the last two sitting in the hallway waiting for a parent to arrive. Puck had been dismissed when it was made clear he had not been part of the fight. Mack had just laughed and gave Figgins a list of local bars to call if he wanted to find her drunken father. He had finally just let her go when it was clear no parent was going to show for her. Finn's mother had taken him home fifteen minutes ago.

Rachel was furious; she had never had a single blemish on her record. Not to mention, it was going to be hard to stay out of trouble with her sister covered in grape slushy.

Quinn was cold and wet, sticky and uncomfortable. Seeing Finn forcing himself on Rachel had made her physically sick.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany Lopez-Pierce was not happy about being called to school about her daughter's fighting. The school secretary had not had many details and just asked the mother to come in to talk to the principal and pick up her kids.

The tall blonde parked the car and entered the school. She was walking towards the principal's office when she ran into Emma Pillsbury.

"Mrs. Lopez-Pierce, how nice to see you. Are you feeling better?" the ginger haired woman asked kindly.

Brittany turned curiously towards the much shorter woman, "Hi Emma, please call me Brittany. I'm fine, I haven't been sick." She smiled pleasantly.

"Really, that's strange. Rachel told me you and Quinn were both sick on the day she missed school. That's why I didn't call the house. Was it the other Mrs. Lopez-Pierce?"

The tall blonde took a minute to process the new information and put it all together. She sighed, Rachel had some explaining to do.

"Thanks Emma, we are all healthy now. Although, I got called in about Rachel and Quinn so I better go speak to Principal Figgins and figure out what's going on. Can you please let Mr. Shuester know I'll be taking them both home immediately. I'm afraid they won't be in Glee today."

Emma grimaced nervously, "yes, of course, no problem. I hope everything is alright."

Brittany smiled sweetly and nearly patted the nervous woman's arm. She remembered at the last minute Rachel telling her she had OCD, "I'm sure it will be, thanks." She turned and resumed stalking angrily down the hallway.

They both looked up when they heard the sound of Brittany's long strides coming quickly down the hallway. She came around the corner and saw Rachel first; she looked pale and frightened but seemed alright. No signs of a fight; no blood, no bruises.

She looked over and noticed Quinn and her eyes narrowed angrily. Her daughter was covered in purple looking slime and she looked like a whipped puppy. Brittany was furious. She walked over quickly and knelt in front of her daughter, "Baby are you alright?"

Rachel huffed loudly and received a glare from her mother for her trouble, "She's fine mama, it's just a slushy."

"Are you fine baby?" Brittany asked again softly.

Quinn knew if she looked into those soft baby blue eyes and saw love and compassion she would lose it. Instead she looked down at her hand and nodded quickly, "I'll be fine mama. It's just cold and uncomfortable."

Brittany patted her leg gently and leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. She wasn't fooled for a moment. Quinn was suffering and it wasn't just the stupid frozen beverage all over her. Standing up, she knocked on the office door and quickly entered it closing the door behind her. She listened quietly as the principal explained that Quinn and Mack started the whole fight without comment.

"Can you explain why Quinn is covered in slushy?" She said angrily.

He hemmed nervously, "Well some of the students seem to think it's funny to dump them on other student's. I try to discourage it but kids will be kids."

Brittany leaned forward, "Wouldn't it discourage them if you removed it from the building?" She said innocently.

His dark eyes grew round, "Well I can't see punishing the entire student body for the actions of a few unruly students. Besides, it appears that Quinn and Mack attacked Finn Hudson."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question Mrs. Lopez-Pierce." He said annoyingly.

"Why would Mack and Quinn attack Finn Hudson?" Brittany tried again, "Does the fact my daughter is covered in slushy part of the reason?"

"I never got a very good explanation as to what happened actually."

Brittany stood up and walked to the door, opening it she called to her youngest daughter, "Rachel, can you come here please?"

Rachel looked like she was walking to the electric chair, "Yes mama." She got up and with a backwards nervous glance at Quinn, she entered the room.

"Why is Quinn covered in slushy?" She watched as her daughter morphed into the same guilty three year old who had cut the hair off her older sister's favorite doll for revenge, "Rachel, the truth please."

"Ok, well, hmmm I guess because one of the jocks slushied Quinn and Mack while they were standing at Quinn's locker. Finn and I were talking at my locker and kissing. I think Quinn thought he was hurting me. She kind of tried to pull him off of me and it got a little out of hand." She said as she stared at the carpet, never once meeting her mama's eyes. Brittany found that highly suspicious and knew there was more to this story.

"Thank you Rachel, please wait with Quinn for me." She turned and looked at Figgins, "I'll take my daughters' home and handle this myself." She grabbed the door handle to leave.

"There is the small matter of Quinn's suspension." He cleared his throat, "I can't have fighting in the halls." He said adamantly.

"How long was Finn Hudson and the boy who assaulted Quinn suspended for?" she said quietly, turning around to look at the older man.

"Well, Mr. Hudson was attacked, not the attacker and no one has identified who slushied your daughter."

"Then I don't see how it's fair that Quinn is suspended. I'm really sure my wife, the prosecuting attorney for the city of Lima, won't understand either."

He swallowed nervously, he didn't want to upset Santana Lopez-Pierce, not if he could help it, "Fine, I suppose that's fair. Seeing as how the slushy seems to have started the argument and the incident with Mr. Hudson was a misunderstanding."

Brittany smiled widely, "Thank you Principal Figgins," she turned to walk out the door pausing again and looking over her shoulder, "That means Rachel, Puck and Mack aren't suspended either right?"

The older man grimaced uneasily, "Of course Mrs. Lopez-Pierce, no one is suspended. Next time though they will be, we do have a zero tolerance policy about fighting."

"Of course Mr. Figgins, I completely understand." She walked into the outer office, "Girls, let's go."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Brittanywas angry and worried, Rachel was anxious and Quinn felt sick, so the car ride home was long and quiet.

They walked into the foyer and Brittany turned gently towards Quinn, "Sweetie, go on upstairs and take a nice hot shower and then lie down for a bit. We'll talk more when mom gets home, alright?" She stared after Quinn worriedly as she watched her daughter walk up the stairs glumly and silently.

Rachel tried to sneak past her mama and up the stairs, but Brittany's hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist, "Oh no you don't, we have something to talk about young lady. Get your butt into the den, now!"

The diva paled instantly. The den was where the "serious" discussions happened. She tried to think what she could have done that would have led to a trip to the den. She gulped and nodded and headed for the den, "Yes mama."

Brittany watched her go and took a deep breath. She needed Santana, "Rachel!" She called to the retreating girl.

Rachel stopped and looked back at her blonde mama, "Yes ma'am?"

"I changed my mind, go to your room and stay off the phone and the internet. I'll talk to you when your mom gets home."

The small brunette was relieved at first but hearing that now her mom was getting involved as well made her more nervous. She nodded and turned and headed up the stairs to her room.

Brittany pulled out her cell phone and typed out a text message to her wife.

_**Hi babe trouble on the homefront nothing too bad just need your support my love. Try to come home as soon as you can. Xoxo Britt**_

She knew Santana was in court and wouldn't respond immediately so she headed to the kitchen to start making dinner.

The more she thought about it the more upset she got, clearly Rachel had lied to Ms. Pillsbury. She also had a feeling that Rachel knew a great deal more about what had happened with Quinn then she had let on. She had a feeling, her little star's luck was about to run out.

_**To be continued… please review ~ next up, Rachel has some 'splaining to do! **_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**Chapter 7**_

Brittany was too upset to cook dinner. She was very worried about Quinn. Pacing around the kitchen, she couldn't concentrate enough to figure out what to make, "Oh well, that's what take out is for." She sighed heavily to herself.

Walking quietly up the stairs, she entered Quinn's room first. The girl had showered and was curled up in her bed sleeping. It was apparent she had cried herself to sleep. Her hair was still damp from the shower and she was dressed in her old Cheerio sweatpants and one of Santana's old NYU tee shirts. She had salty tear tracks on her face. The girl was spooning her body pillow like she was clinging to a life raft.

The older blonde was beyond worried now. She knew her oldest daughter; Quinn wouldn't have gotten this upset about the slushy, she would have gotten pissed off and decked someone. She was too much like Santana to have let something as trivial as a slushy upset her like this.

Why would Quinn think that Finn was hurting Rachel if they were just kissing? None of this made any sense whatsoever.

The tall blonde sat down yoga style next to the bed and watched her daughter carefully. Trying to will the information out of the sleeping girl. The younger girl would jerk and whimper and then grip the pillow tightly before falling back to a more peaceful sleep. She would do this every 15 minutes or so. Brittany could tell it wasn't quite a nightmare but it was something that was unsettling Quinn unconsciously.

Just looking at her, Brittany was able to see the young, innocent, untroubled girl she used to be. When she was sleeping she looked peaceful and calm. During the day, Quinn looked tired and stressed. Like a light bulb going off, a thought, a realization suddenly clicked in Brittany's head; this dyed hair and the oversized clothes and black makeup and weird jewelry, it was a costume, like worn for Halloween. Only this costume was to keep people from getting close to her. It wounded Brittany to her core to realize it was meant to keep her mothers' away as well. She was pretending and Brittany couldn't believe it had never occurred to her until now. Santana had told her it was a normal teenage phase and she had accepted that at face value, but Santana hadn't heard her that night on the phone. How lost and afraid she sounded.

The tall blonde sighed sadly. This was all tied together somehow. She had some of the clues but not enough to complete the puzzle. Maybe San could help her put more pieces together when she got home. Brittany scowled darkly thinking about Rachel. She had some of the pieces even if she didn't realize it. Brittany was going to get the truth out of her little diva tonight.

She stood up and leaned over, kissed Quinn on the forehead gently, adjusted her blankets carefully and left the room.

Stopping at Rachel's door, Brittany hesitated. She never dealt with her children when she was angry or distraught. Realizing she was in no mood to deal with her youngest daughter just yet, she went downstairs to see if Santana had texted her back.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Mack was sitting on a picnic table in the empty local park. It was a crisp Fall day, typical of Ohio. The wind, gray sky and hint of rain kept people locked behind their doors. She was chain smoking and thinking.

She was homicidal since school let out. Killing Hudson would be too easy, too quick, he deserved to suffer, fucking self-righteous bastard.

And Rachel, she was a piece of work. She had no idea what she was getting herself into with Hudson. Quinn had been trying to protect Rachel but she couldn't be with her 24/7. Mack tried to not care about Rachel, if she did get roughed up by that ape it was only what the selfish bitch deserved; except it would destroy Quinn.

Quinn was already emotionally falling apart. Mack knew her best friend kept her feelings hidden from the world. Since being forced to join the Glee Club, since having to face her rapist on a daily basis, since having to watch him putting his hands all over her baby sister, since being slushied daily; Quinn's armor was starting to crack. Mack had noticed how tightly wound Quinn had become, but today she actually saw the anguish on her beautiful face when the girl's mask slipped; when she hurled herself at Hudson thinking he was hurting Rachel.

Mack angrily wiped the tears off her face, "Damnit, I have to do something. I can't just watch this destroy Quinn." She was frustrated. She didn't know how to help. She had sworn to take the secret of Quinn's rape to the grave. Putting her head in her hands, she blew smoke out angrily, she had to think of something and fast.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Lost in thought, she didn't hear Finn Hudson walk up to the picnic table, "Well, what have we got here? So tell me skank, is it true they all call you Mack because you fuck every truck driver that comes through Lima?" He said seductively in her ear.

The brunette jumped up startled and ready for a fight, her heart thumping wildly, "Stay away from me you fuck or I'll kick your ass."

He stalked her like prey, slowly and methodically as she backed up keeping him in her line of vision, "You aren't going to kick anyone's ass bitch." He said malevolently, "You and your slut friend walk around all day like you're better than me, you both look at me like you're better than me."

Mack was walking backwards slowly, as he was walking towards her slowly. She was cursing herself for being alone in the park at dusk. In school, he made her angry but now, right now, out here alone with him? She was afraid.

She glanced quickly to her right and left and thought for a split second about trying to make a run for it. He was at least a foot taller than her, didn't smoke and was a jock. She'd never outrun the prick, but then again, she wasn't about to sit still and let him rape her either. She had no doubt in her mind, Finn Hudson meant her harm.

The brunette stopped as she backed into a chain link fence. Hoping for the element of surprise and without a second thought, she made a run for the parking lot.

Finn made a desperate grab for her but missed and she heard him swear loudly. Not daring to look back and fueled by fear and adrenaline, Mack kept running. For a minute, she heard the sound of his loud footfalls directly behind her but then she heard him trip and heard the heavy fall of his body as he hit the ground hard.

"I wouldn't fuck you anyway you filthy whore, my dick would probably fall off if it came anywhere near you." He screamed after her in rage.

Mack didn't stop running until she was at least a mile away from the park and Finn Hudson.

Sitting down on the curb, breathing heavily she came to a sudden realization. Somehow in the back of her mind, she had assumed that what Finn Hudson had done to her best friend was precipitated by alcohol. He had too much to drink and lost control. She didn't know it was premeditated until tonight. It made her blood run cold and as much as she despised Rachel Lopez-Pierce, she had to at least warn the girl. She just had to do that without betraying her best friend.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana walked into her home a little concerned about Brittany's text. She threw her keys in the bowl by the door and sighed in relief. The Latina loved her home and her family. It was all she had wanted her whole life; to be part of a family she could love and protect.

She called out, "Hey B, I'm home." She smiled happily when the blonde came around the corner from the living room and hugged her.

"Oh San, I'm so glad you're home." The tall blonde held her tight and didn't let go.

"Hey baby, come on now, it can't be as bad as all that." She comforted the woman in her arms, "I'm here now and what do I always say?"

Brittany sniffled softly, "There isn't anything we can't handle together." It came out muffled against the brunette's chest but she was unwilling to let go right away. It felt so safe and warm in Santana's arms.

Santana held her wife tighter and rubbed her back gently, "So how about you tell me what's got you so upset today baby."

The blonde pulled back and wiped her eyes. She took Santana's hand and led her to the living room where she explained the events of the day, Quinn's strange reaction, Rachel's evasion and her own suspicions.

The Latina was chewing on her bottom lip, deep in thought, "She's been sleeping this whole time?"

"The last time I checked she was, but that was about an hour ago."

Santana stood up and took Brittany's hand pulling her up beside her, "Come on baby; let's go talk to our oldest daughter shall we?" She had known Brittany since childhood. Santana could see how worried she was, and the Latina always trusted Brittany's instincts. She understood people better than anyone Santana ever met. If she said something deeper was happening with their daughters, she believed her. Wrapping her arm around her wife's waist, she pulled her close and kissed her temple, "It's going to be ok sweetheart, I promise. We'll figure out what's going on."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn was sitting at her desk working on homework when she heard her door quietly opening, "I'm awake." She called out, "I'm doing homework, it's the only reason I'm on the laptop." She said pre-emptively.

Brittany nodded, "It's alright honey, I never said you were grounded."

"Oh I just assumed, with what happened at school today." The younger girl said nervously.

Santana smirked, "You know what they say about assuming Q? It makes an ass out of you and me."

That got an eye roll and a reluctant grin out of her daughter, which was the tone the brunette was hoping for. Seeing how meek her eldest was being made the Latina nervous. Where was her defiant rebel without a clue?

Santana, with her years of lawyer training took charge, "Come on over to the bed Quinn and sit down. We have some questions about what happened in school today and we expect the truth."

Quinn came over and sat on the bed with her blonde mama next to her and her brunette mother sitting in the desk chair in front of her. It made her claustrophobic and she had a second of panic until she felt her mama rub her back sweetly. She looked at her and saw big sky blue eyes filled with love and concern and realized she was being stupid. She was safe and loved here. Quinn took a deep breath and nodded.

"What happened today Quinn? What's with the slushies and why did you attack Finn Hudson in the hallway?" Santana's tone was soft but she was all business and Quinn really couldn't think of a way to lie her way out of this one.

"The jocks think it's funny to throw slushies on people who are different then they are. The kids who are not popular, or are awkward looking, you know everyone who isn't a stupid jock like them." She reluctantly admitted.

Santana looked angry, "Jocks like Rachel and Finn?" She glared at her daughter, daring Quinn to lie to her.

"Mommy, please I …"

"I understand you don't want to rat out your younger sister Quinn, but this is serious. This is bullying behavior. It is unacceptable from anyone, but especially from Rachel."

Quinn said softly, "You don't understand, it's not that simple. It's the hierarchy of that stupid place."

Santana huffed out an aggravated breath, "Right, how could I understand? It's not like I've ever been a teenager in high school or anything."

"You both were popular like Rachel. I really don't think you do understand." Quinn said emotionally.

Brittany gave her wife a look telling her to cool the inquisition then took her daughter's hand, "Quinn, when you were punished I asked you specifically if you were being bullied. Do you remember? You told me you weren't."

Quinn nodded, "I swear I wasn't being bullied mama. I promise, I had never been slushied even once up till then."

The blonde looked into her green-gold eyes, "Then what changed honey?"

Quinn hesitated and it suddenly clicked in Santana's mind and a few of the puzzle pieces fell into place, "Glee Club. That's what changed. You joined the Glee Club and Rachel and Finn didn't like it. That's why you started getting bullied, isn't it?" The Latina was furious with her youngest daughter at that moment. Rachel's little butt was in so much damned trouble.

Brittany and Quinn just stared at the brunette with big surprised eyes. The tall blonde slowly turned and looked at her daughter, "Is that true Quinn?"

"I actually think it's more Finn's doing than Rachel's. She's been protecting me from getting slushied since I quit the Cheerios last year." She said softly.

Brittany felt guilt hit her like a sledge hammer right in her chest. Her baby was being bullied and it was all her fault. She felt the tears well up in her eyes.

Quinn felt her heart break at the look on her mama's face, "Don't cry mama, please don't cry. I really like singing and dancing, I do. I don't even really mind the slushies, it was just getting two in one day…." She stopped talking with her eyes wide open, she hadn't meant to say that much. She just couldn't stand seeing her mama hurting.

The older blonde's face paled and Santana roared loudly, "Two? They did it to you twice today?" She got up and started pacing the room letting out a long string of Spanish cursing, "How often does this happen to you?"

"Once a day." The teenager admitted. Her mother swore some more.

Santana stopped pacing and drilled her daughter with her nearly black eyes, "Who slushied you today? I want their names and I want them now."

The younger girl sighed, "It was Azimio Adams from the football team." She wasn't trying to protect Finn but she still felt this misguided need to protect Rachel."

The Latina was not fooled, "Azimio Adams slushied you twice today? The truth, Quinn Cordelia."

"Finn Hudson slushied me the second time." She said barely above a whisper. Quinn didn't want to open the Pandora's Box that came with talking about the football jock but she knew better than to lie outright about something so easily proven.

Brittany no longer looked guilty, she looked angry, "Rachel told us that you thought he was hurting her and that's why you physically attacked him. She said you misunderstood the situation. Why would you think he was hurting your sister? Has he hurt her before?" She leaned over and grabbed her daughter's hand in hers and forced the girl to look her in the eye, "Why does he hate you? Has he hurt you?"

There it was, the $64 million dollar question. Quinn felt like she was going to throw up. She couldn't tell them she wasn't a virgin anymore. She couldn't tell them she had lied to their faces and went to a party and got drunk. She couldn't tell them she had sex with Finn Hudson. It was too shameful. She would find a way to protect Rachel without disclosing her secret sins.

"He was kissing her roughly and she was trying to push him off, now that I think about it, I just think she was embarrassed about him kissing her like that in public. Rachel isn't like that. She doesn't do that kind of stuff in the hallways." Quinn started speaking slowly, "I was so angry about him throwing that slushy at me and Mack. When I saw Rachel trying to push him away and him not stopping, I guess I jumped to the wrong conclusion." She looked up into sky blue orbs hoping to convince at least one of her mothers, "I thought he was hurting her so I tried to get him off her. She's so little and I just snapped."

Brittany tried again, "Why does he hate you?"

"When I was a cheerleader, I wouldn't date him and it made him mad. There was talk that I was going to be the head cheerleader and he was the quarterback. He kept talking about it like it was a rule or something, like we had to be together. I guess it embarrassed him that I didn't like him or want to date him back." She shrugged, hoping that was enough.

The tall blonde was searching her face, she knew that wasn't everything but she could see Quinn closing herself off.

"Miss Pillsbury told me that Rachel covered for you when you skipped. I know that you lied to us. I'm very disappointed about that but I understand you didn't want to get your sister in trouble. I feel you were punished sufficiently for that day, but I cannot condone lying." She said pointedly to Quinn, "I want you to write lines for me, I think 500 times. Do you think that's appropriate San?"

The Latina looked at both of them, "I want you to write: Lying makes me look dishonest and untrustworthy; I will not lie to my mothers' ever again. You are grounded for two weeks, school then home and that's it. You can keep your phone, iPod and the computer though."

Quinn was astonished; lying was a spanking offense every time, it always had been. She just nodded at them both and quickly added, "Yes ma'am." When her mother quirked her eyebrow at her.

Santana said sternly, "Go downstairs, sit at the kitchen table and start writing. We are going to order pizza for dinner later. Quinn, your mama and I are letting this slide one time but if you lie to either of us again, I will personally put you over my knee and show you just what a bad idea it is. Do you understand me young lady?"

"I understand, I won't lie anymore, I'm sorry."

Brittany leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek. Santana kissed her daughter's forehead and waited until Quinn grabbed her notebook and pencil and headed downstairs before speaking.

"So, what did you think B?" She said.

"She's still not telling us everything."

Santana walked over and took her distraught wife in her arms, "And you can just stop feeling guilty about Glee Club right this minute. All this is not your fault. You love your daughters and you are a wonderful mother. Don't worry; we are going to figure this all out. I promise you babe."

Brittany trusted her and nodded to let her know that, "Now we have to deal with Rachel."

The Latina's eyes flashed dangerously, "Take Rachel downstairs to the den and have her start writing her side of the story. I am calling Carol Hummel and Mary Adams and letting them know what kind of gentlemen they are raising. I'll be in the den as soon as I finish my calls."

The blonde leaned over and kissed her wife softly. She needed the contact, the love she got from the brunette. This was turning into a really bad day.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana hung up the phone. Carol Hummel had been appalled that Finn had been bullying people, especially Quinn. She assured Santana that she and Burt would handle the problem. Mary Adams was another story. She was outright hostile and Santana finally threatened to have her son arrested for assault the next time he threw a slushy at her daughter. The Latina had mentioned that not many college football scouts would waste time on someone who assaulted women. That had gotten her attention.

She headed to the den and walked over to B. A very nervous and pale Rachel was busy scribbling away on her notepad.

When she was finished writing, Santana made her read it out loud. When Rachel was finished, her mother stood up and crossed her arms, "I need to make sure I understand this fully. You allowed your sister to be bullied?"

"I was angry about her being in Glee Club and…. I'm sorry. I was wrong, I knew it was happening and I didn't stop it. I should have. Today was awful; Quinn looked so hurt and betrayed." Rachel broke down, crying the tears that were with her all day.

Brittany spoke up, "Perhaps it's you that shouldn't be in Glee Club if you honestly feel it is more important than your family."

Big brown eyes looked up in panic, "No, please mama, don't take Glee Club away from me. I'll make sure no one slushies Quinn ever again. I swear."

"Not just Quinn. You are the head cheerleader, the president of Glee Club; you should be using that position to protect people not bullying them." Santana said seriously, "I cannot believe that you would condone bullying anyone, let alone your sister. There is nothing more important than your family. I cannot believe how disappointed I am in you right now."

That brought fresh tears to Rachel, who hung her head and cried.

Santana walked over to Rachel and pulled her up gently by the arm, "You need to listen to me little girl, because I am very serious right now. I already talked to Finn's mom and Mrs. Adams and I am filing an injunction to have that stupid slushy machine removed tomorrow morning. I will be checking daily and if I hear even the slightest whisper of you being responsible for anyone being bullied I will pull you from McKinley High and enroll you in a private girl's school so fast your head will spin. That means you can kiss head cheerleader and Glee Club goodbye forever. Do you understand me Rachel?"

"Yes ma'am, I understand." She said quickly, grateful for a second chance.

Brittany spoke up, "In addition to the spanking you are getting, you are grounded for two months. I can't stop you from seeing Finn in school but you are not going to ride to or from school with him for those two months and you will not be texting or talking to him on your phone since it now belongs to me."

"That's not fair, I love Finn. I'm to blame for the slushies as well."

Brittany scowled, "I can't punish Finn Hudson but I can punish you and honestly, I think he has been pushing you to do things like this you don't even want to do. That worries me Rachel. I'm not saying you have to break up with him but I think the time apart will do you both some good."

"What about football games and Homecoming?" She cried desperately, "I'm the head cheerlead and I'm on the Homecoming Court, I need to be at the dance."

Santana looked at Brittany and remembered when her wife had been voted Homecoming Queen. It had been such a wonderful night. Brittany had been so happy, "You can cheer on Friday nights, but no parties after, and you come straight home. Your mama and I will talk about Homecoming but that is only if I see angelic behavior from you for the next two weeks."

Brittany nodded her agreement, "I just don't think you understand how serious this is Rachel. The only thing you're worried about is Homecoming right now?"

"I'm sorry I do understand how serious it is. It's just I was really looking forward to Homecoming." The diva said sorrowfully.

Santana pulled the desk chair into the middle of the room, "Rachel, go and get the hairbrush from the bathroom please." She said sternly.

Rachel swallowed hard and ran from the room.

Brittany hugged her wife, "do you want me to spank her San?"

"No, I'll take care of this. Would you mind supervising Quinn and ordering us food?" Santana said brusquely. She was very serious about teaching her youngest daughter a valuable lesson about bullying tonight.

The two women kissed softly, each comforting the other. They hated having to punish their daughter's but when it was necessary they would do it.

The tall blonde was walking out of the den as Rachel was coming back in carrying the wooden hairbrush. She was already crying softly, part anticipation of her spanking, part guilt and very real sadness that she had hurt Quinn's feelings and was going to be away from Finn for two months.

Brittany took her little girl in her arms and held her closely, "I love you baby girl. It's all going to be ok."

"I'm so sorry for disappointing you and mommy." Rachel sobbed genuinely.

"I know you are sweetheart." Brittany rocked her gently, "Now go on, don't keep mommy waiting." She said softly.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany walked into the kitchen and found Quinn writing her lines diligently. She sat down across from her and the teenager looked up expectantly.

"Are you hungry yet honey?"

Quinn shrugged and went back to writing, "I could eat something."

"Pizzas and salads alright?"

"Sure mama, that's fine with me. We haven't' had pizza in a while."

Brittany laughed softly, "That's because I hate feeding my loved ones that kind of junk." Quinn looked up and grinned shyly. It nearly melted her mama's heart.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana had her daughter bent over her knees and was delivering a spirited lecture. She wanted the diva to completely understand. She always lectured before, during and sometimes even after the spanking when you were standing in the corner.

Satisfied that she had made her point, she reached up and pulled Rachel's shorts down to her knees, revealing white lace panties. She started the warm up hand spanking over her panties.

Rachel was no less dramatic during as spanking as she was in real life. She was already crying and apologizing before her backside was even light pink. Santana rolled her eyes as she applied crisp firm spanks evenly across the small girl's well rounded backside, "This is not even close to being over Rachel Barbra, so quit, there are no Academy Award judges here with us tonight. It's just us and I say when this is over." She placed a particularly hard spank right smack in the center of her bottom for effect, startling the diva and causing her to squeak out loud and jump.

The smaller brunette tried to muffle her cries as her mother continued at a steady pace. Her bottom was heating up and the spanking was really starting to sting a lot. After a few solid minutes that felt like forever, Rachel felt her mother stop and reach for her panties. Santana tugged them down to join her shorts in one practiced motion.

The diva flung her hand back to cover her bare bottom, "Oh mommy please, I'm sorry and it hurts so much, no more please mommy."

Santana grabbed her wrist and pulled it behind her back, adjusted the diva across her knees and continued the hand spanking at a more rapid pace. It was amazing to Rachel how much protection those sheer lacy panties had been offering. Within a minute she was crying openly and apologizing profusely.

She was so caught up in the blossoming pain in her backside, she wasn't even aware it had stopped until her mother asked for the hairbrush. Rachel was beside herself with self-pity. Unlike her older sister who always tried to maintain her composure and dignity, Rachel had no such qualms. If crying didn't work, she tried sobbing, if that didn't work, she tried begging, if that didn't work she tried kicking and squirming.

The first strike with the large wooden backed hairbrush, hit her squarely on her right ass cheek. Rachel squealed in pain and wiggled around trying to escape the next spank she knew was coming. Santana had slowed down the rhythm, making sure each spank of the paddle was slow and deliberate. She had increased the strength of her swing to about medium strength.

The second swat hit her squarely on the left cheek. Rachel's pale backside blanched white and then turned a fierce pink as the girl cried even louder. She was no longer speaking coherently.

Santana kept up with the paddling, keeping a close eye on her drama queen daughter. The girl was bucking and kicking wildly, so Santana crossed her leg over Rachel's to keep either of them from getting hurt. She increased the rhythm a bit as she delivered a firm message about the dangers of bullying one's peers.

"I'm almost done baby girl." She delivered another two minute lecture as she continued spanking evenly around the girl's cherry red backside. She concentrated fully on her very tender sit spots for about 30 seconds and then the spanking was over.

Rachel was squirming and howling in pain and if she didn't feel so bad, it would probably be funny.

Santana comforted the girl by rubbing her back and talking soothingly until the wiggling and hysterics calmed into soft cries. She helped her up and sent her into the corner for her half hour thinking time.

The diva quickly put her hand back rubbed fiercely as she sobbed loudly.

"No rubbing Rachel or do you need a reminder?"

The hands quickly dropped to her side as she started wiggling her hips and shuffling her feet trying to ease the burning in her sore backside.

"Rachel Barbra!"

All movement ceased. Santana glanced at the clock and sat waiting for the thirty minutes to be over.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The rest of the evening had gone by quietly. Quinn did her lines, ate dinner and went to bed. Rachel was completely remorseful, barely touched dinner and went to bed as well. She knocked on Quinn's door softly.

Quinn opened it and felt her heart tug at the swollen red eyes of her sister, "Rach?"

"I just wanted to say I'm so sorry for everything Quinn. I acted like a selfish brat and I'm just really sorry and not just because of the spanking."

"Thanks Rach, I love you but please don't date Finn anymore, please." Quinn said quickly.

Rachel's brown eyes hardened quickly, "I just wanted to say sorry about the slushies. I have to go to bed now."

Quinn grabbed her arm, "Damnit Rachel, I'm not jealous that you have Finn, he's an angry guy, please I don't want you to get hurt."

The diva narrowed her eyes and looked at her sister and said softly, "I love you too, I really do Quinn. I can handle Finn, I'm fine. Besides, I'm grounded for two months. I can't see him even if I wanted to."

"I'm sorry too Rachel, I really am."

The two sisters smiled weakly at each other and both went back to bed.

Santana and Brittany came up and tucked both their girls in. The spent extra time with Rachel, letting her cry as they held her and telling her she was loved and forgiven. She fell asleep in the arms of her mama.

The blonde gently laid her down on the bed as the Latina covered her up gently and turned off the night light.

Cuddled up in bed together, Santana said to her wife, "Do you think we can get our money back? I loved the baby and toddler stage but I'm not digging this teenage drama."

Brittany snuggled closer and murmured, "Sleep now so this awful day can be over with."

The Latina kissed her wife gently and they both fell asleep emotionally exhausted.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The next day at school, Rachel suffered through Cheerios practice with a sore ass and a terrible headache from crying so much the night before. Today was going to be miserable trying to sit down on the hard chairs all day.

Right before lunch time, a crew of men came and removed the slushy machine and Rachel was glad that it seemed like no one yet knew it was her mother who had had it removed. She was grateful for that.

Finn had glared at her all morning and she wanted to talk to him but not when he was in a mood like this. It could wait a few days for everything to calm down.

She hadn't seen Quinn and she knew her sister was avoiding her and that honestly made her want to cry. She knew she deserved it but she felt so all alone.

The diva was so focused on her internal misery; she didn't even see Mack headed straight for her. The tough punk girl pushed Rachel up against her locker and the smaller brunette hissed when her sore ass hit the lockers.

"I need to talk to you Rachel. I know you hate me and I could care less about you but Quinn is my best friend." Mack started.

"You don't need to say anything Mack; I got in big trouble last night. I will make sure Quinn is not bullied or slushied again, you either. I'm going to try to change things around here and I'm sorry you got slushied yesterday as well." She said sincerely.

That put Mack off course, "Are you high or something? Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?"

"I don't hate you. I was awful to Quinn but believe me the bullying is going to stop. I was wrong to stand by and let it happen. You may not believe me but I do love Quinn." Rachel said softly.

Mack looked at her to see if she was acting, the girl was a great actress but she seemed sincere, "Listen to me Rachel. I ran into Finn in the park last night. He was really angry and hostile and if I hadn't run away he would have hurt me. He is an angry dangerous guy and you need to stay away from him, far away from him. I've heard rumors of him hurting other girls. Reliable rumors. If not for yourself than for Quinn. She would die if something happened to you."

"Finn has some anger issues but nobody understands him like I do. I love him and I can help him. I'm not dumping him just because he is going through a rough time. You don't do that to people you love Mack. I will take your advice under advisement."

"Jesus Rachel, quit talking and listen. You have to see that something is off with the guy. He raped a girl Rachel, she said no and he raped her. Tell me he hasn't tried to get pushy with you. Tell me he hasn't gotten angry and aggressive when you've refused to sleep with him." Mack tried again.

"I don't believe you. Leave me alone." Rachel pushed her sister's best friend away from her but deep down she was scared, a seed of doubt had been planted.

_**To be continued…**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**Chapter 8**_

Finn Hudson stood at his locker grabbing books for his next class. He hadn't spoken to Rachel since everything went down last week. She was hurt, and he was furious. He had been grounded, and had his phone taken away, all because of her slut sister. Now, his mom and Burt wanted him to talk to an anger management counselor. Being grounded hadn't helped either. He couldn't go out and hang with his friends, drink, play video games, or pick up girls. His anger and frustration had been growing since his mom had married Burt. He was forced to leave his father's house, and his mother had a new husband. It was as if the hero he idolized had never existed. It was just so disrespectful to his father's memory. He was angry all the time now, at everyone and everything.

Rachel was different than the other girls. She wasn't a slut, even if she was Head Cheerio. He really did like being with her. Of course, he couldn't ever marry her; her mothers were dykes, and one was even a spic. What kind of children would they have? He really only wanted to sleep with her, but Rachel had a stupid life plan. She wanted to be a star, and be married first. Every time he pushed to go further, she would stop him. She was going to have to learn, he was the man. Of course with two rug munchers for parents, how could she know you had to listen to the man? It took all his self-control not to just take what he thought was his, her virginity.

A thrill of conquest rushed through his veins at the thought of taking the virginity of both sisters. That would be an accomplishment, something worth bragging about with his friends in the locker room. He would be the big man then, someone they could look up to. He was sick of everyone treating him like a moron. He knew stuff.

It was Monday now, and he was eager to see Rachel. He knew he could get her alone in the locker room, or the utility closet, or the auditorium. She liked making out with him. It was too bad she couldn't ride to school with him anymore. There was a lot you could do in the car. Maybe he could get her into his car at lunchtime for a little make out session. He closed his locker and went in search of Rachel.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel had been quiet and reserved all weekend. She wanted to prove to her family that she really was sorry for everything that happened.

Quinn, being grounded as well, did her best to stay in her room. She didn't want to make her mothers' suspicious, so she came out as often as she felt she needed to. She smiled and socialized, then retreated back to the solitude of her bedroom. It was getting harder to keep up the illusion that she was emotionally fine.

Brittany loved having her family around her, so did Santana. Since everyone was home for the weekend, they had a movie and game night on Saturday. They all had fun. Rachel and Santana even reined in their natural competitiveness. Later than night in bed, Santana sound asleep next to her, Brittany actually had hope that everything was finally calming down.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The Skanks always gathered before school and hung out. Sitting under the bleachers on their favorite ratty couch, Quinn was smoking her last cigarette. She had decided to quit before getting caught; besides she wanted to start running again. Quinn had loved the physical part of cheerleading. Running had always been a great emotional release.

Looking around at the rest of the Skanks, she said what had been on her mind for weeks now, "Guys, we need to stop taking lunch money from the freshman. I don't want to be a bully anymore."

Ronnie looked appalled, "How am I supposed to eat then?"

Mack snapped, "Get a fucking job, or pack a damned sandwich. Quinn is right, we don't like getting slushied, how is it ok to give the freshman swirly's?"

Sheila grumbled, "She just don't want to get her damned ass beat again."

Quinn quickly looked over at Sheila in surprise. Her punishments were an open secret in the group, but they never talked about it. No one wanted to risk embarrassing their friend. Quinn opened her mouth to say something but Mack beat her to the punch.

"The only one around here that's getting an ass-beating is you, if I find out you bullied anyone." She growled menacingly, advancing towards the girl, stopping only when Quinn laid a gentle hand on her arm.

Sheila glared at Mack, but then put her head down and mumbled, "Jesus, I was just sayin' is all. Don't have a fucking cow, sorry Quinn."

Quinn nodded as she took a last long drag on her cigarette, then put it out on the bottom of her boot, "Well, that's it! I just quit smoking," She got up off the couch and grabbed her bag, "I'm going to class, anyone coming?"

Ronnie laughed good-naturedly, "Fuck Quinn, no swirly's, no stealing, no smoking, and you're going to class on time. Are you a Skank or a girl scout?"

The rest of the group got up to join them, they were laughing at Ronnie's observation.

Mack shrugged, "We are the Skanks, now and forever, but it probably wouldn't hurt to improve our image just a little," She couldn't stop her lips from turning up at the corners.

Quinn wrapped her arms around the shoulders of her friends as they walked back to the school, "I really love you guys."

Sheila moaned out loud, "Knock that mushy shit out already, and throw out the fucking happy pills. We got a reputation, ya know?"

Quinn just rolled her pretty eyes; she knew the Skanks had her back. It was good to have friends.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel was standing at her locker when Finn walked up to her, "I was being an ass last week. It wasn't your fault I got grounded. Want to walk to class together?"

He was leaning against the locker casually, looking calm and handsome.

Rachel nearly groaned out loud, the relief was so great. Losing Finn was not an option for her. True love could triumph over any obstacle. His anger was an impediment to their continued happiness, she knew that. She would just help him conquer his issues, like any good girlfriend would do.

Smiling up at him, she took his arm, and walked with him to their first class. She pushed everyone's warnings to the back of her mind. Everything was going to be alright now.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

In Chemistry class, first period, Finn was caressing her thigh. He kept moving his hand higher, letting it rest under her skirt, dangerously close to her panties. He was rubbing gently, and she couldn't deny it felt good. Pleasant tingles danced up and down her spine at his touch, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Still, keeping up her grades, and getting to the Homecoming dance were the priorities.

Steeling her resolve, she pushed his hand off her bare thigh. She hissed at him to stop, "Finn, I cannot get in trouble. If I do, I can't attend the Homecoming dance. Please stop."

He reluctantly moved his hand away, smirking at her flushed face knowingly.

By lunchtime Rachel was getting a bit annoyed. Finn was touching her in every class, and fondling her in the hallways. She was grabbing her lunch out of her locker, when he came up behind her.

Wrapping his arms tightly around her middle, he pulled her back tightly into his chest, "Let's go to the auditorium, where we can be alone." He whispered in her ear.

"I needed to talk to Kurt and Blaine about the new Glee Club numbers. They had some ideas we could use." She said enthusiastically, "I thought I could speak to them at lunch, since I can't call them in the evening." Patting his hand lovingly, she headed towards the cafeteria. Rachel was unaware that Finn had stopped walking with her.

"Don't you love me Rachel?" He said loudly.

Spinning around, she stared at Finn in shock, "What kind of question is that? You know I do," She walked back to him quickly, "Finn, what's wrong?"

"We are going to be apart for two months, Rachel. That doesn't seem to bother you at all. I just want to go hang out with my girlfriend, alone. You'd rather be with stupid Kurt and Blaine, than with me. I just wanted to make sure you still loved me." He whined pathetically.

Rachel blinked back the tears in her milk chocolate eyes, "I know two months seems like an awfully long time, but it is going to fly right by. As long as I don't mess up, we'll have Christmas and New Year's Eve together," She leaned forward, putting her head on his chest, hugging his waist tightly, "I hate that we aren't going to be going out in the evenings, or riding together in the mornings. We just have to make the best of this time." She nestled in closer, wanting to prove her feelings to him.

"That's what I'm saying; we can make the best of it by being alone together on our lunch break. How are you going to get into trouble? I just want to spend time with you. We can't even text when we're apart." He sounded bereft, abandoned.

The diva felt her heart give a tug. Sighing in surrender, Rachel pulled back and took Finn's big hand in her petite one, "Come on, let's go eat lunch in the auditorium." She gazed longingly towards the cafeteria, as he pulled down the hallway.

Finn was thrilled he had gotten his way.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn was in the cafeteria barely nibbling on the sandwich her mama had packed. She kept glancing uneasily towards the doorway.

Mack leaned over, "What's up?"

"Rachel told me she was meeting Kurt and Blaine at lunch, to talk about some Glee business. I haven't seen her or Finn yet, and lunch is half over with." Quinn said in a worried tone.

"Well, I'd say there are only three reliable places they could be. The auditorium, your sister loves that place. The locker room, the stupid jock loves that place. The supply closet, everyone loves that place." She said with a cocky grin.

The pink-haired teen looked at her best friend and nodded, "I wish half the classrooms weren't empty right now, but Rachel would be trying to be careful. She really wants to go to Homecoming," She grimaced at the thought of the dance, "I would say one of those three rooms is the safe bet."

Mack stood up and beckoned Quinn to follow her, "Watch the master at work." She got to Kurt and Blaine first, "Hey, bowtie boys, Rachel asked if you could meet her in the auditorium, some big emergency about your club, right Q?"

Quinn caught the clue and ran with it, "I'm so sorry Kurt, she asked me to tell you and I totally forget." She smiled apologetically.

The slender, well dressed boy looked suspicious, but the ever cheerful and optimistic Blaine pulled him to his feet, "Thank you Quinn, Lauren. I knew Rachel wouldn't stand us up when it concerns Glee. Come on babe."

Kurt fixed his clothes and said fussily, "I suppose, Diva is very thorough when it comes to Glee."

Quinn waited until they left, then laughed, "You are a genius, _Lauren_," she teased.

"Is anyone ever really that happy all the time?" Mack said of Blaine, "Only my grandma calls me Lauren, jeez."

The walked over to Puck, explained the situation, and sent him to the locker room to look for Rachel and Finn. They decided to check out the supply closet.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Finn and Rachel were sitting on the piano bench, sharing the lunch she had brought to school. Rachel finished her sandwich, and neatly folded the wax paper it had been wrapped in. She pulled out her apple, and offered it to Finn. He took it and set it on the seat next to him. Rachel gave him a questioning look.

"I'm hungry for something else right now." Standing up, he picked her up easily, and set her down on the top of the piano.

She smiled teasingly at him, "Really Mr. Hudson, what would you be hungry for pray tell?"

He growled and swiftly moved forward, taking her mouth roughly with his own. Rachel moaned into his open mouth. They kissed passionately until both ran out of oxygen. She was panting for air when he dove back in for more. The cheerleader tangled her fingers in his shaggy hair, and pulled him closer.

In the back of her mind, Rachel knew she was being reckless. Anyone could walk into the auditorium at any time. She just was finding it hard to concentrate at the moment.

Towering over the petite brunette, Finn grabbed her by her hips, and roughly pulled her towards him. Her back was lying against the cool, polished wood of the piano. As he kissed her more passionately, his hands were inching up under her skirt. He cupped her sex, over the spanks. He could feel the moisture, and the heat. She wanted him too. It spurred him on.

Sliding his tongue further in her mouth, he brought one hand up to caress her breast. His other hand was rubbing her over her spanks. The only sounds in the room were the heavy breathing, and low moans they were both making.

He grabbed her spanks with both hands, kissing her as a distraction. He started to slide them carefully off her body.

Finn bent down, and attempted to put his face under her skirt. This was his signature move. Once he pleasured them orally, they had to reciprocate. He was excited. Rachel had never let him get this far before.

Coming to her senses, she grabbed his wrists with her tiny hands, "Finn stop." She moaned, "We can't, not here."

He was incredibly aroused, they couldn't stop now, "Yes, we can babe. We are alone." He tried again.

She sat up abruptly, "No we can't," She closed her legs, trying to straighten out her clothes, "I am not having sex on top of the piano, in the high school auditorium, during school hours. Although, I will admit, having sex on top of a baby grand piano, on an empty Broadway stage, with my Tony next to me is definitely a fantasy of mine."

Finn groaned and slammed his hand down on the piano, "Who is Tony?" He yelled.

Rachel started at the angry sound, "No Finn, Tony isn't a person. It's an award." She wondered if he ever listened to a word she said to him.

He smirked and moved close to her again, "You want to have sex with an award. That's pretty kinky." He kissed her again.

The cheerleader tried to push him away, "That's not what I said, Finn. Do you ever listen to me when I talk to you?" She tried to get off the piano.

He angrily held her there, "Do you ever listen to me? Jesus Christ, I'm hard as a rock, and you just want to stop? I'm dying here. Fuck, Rachel." He yelled.

She felt more guilty than afraid, "I'm sorry Finn, I really am. I'm just not willing to go that far here at school. Actually, I've already discussed this with you. I'm not ready to have sex yet."

"I'm just talking about a little oral. It's not sex."

Rachel was just about to argue with him when she heard the auditorium door slam.

"Diva, are you in here? What are you doing in the dark?" Kurt and Blaine walked closer to the stage and noticed Finn, "Oh, now I see why you are in the dark." Kurt said drolly. He really couldn't understand what Rachel saw in his step-brother.

Blaine asked politely, "Should we leave?"

"NO!"

"YES!"

Rachel hopped off the piano, and gave Finn a dirty look, "No, of course not. We have things we need to talk about, for Glee." She was immensely grateful for their well-timed interruption.

Finn kicked over a chair, as she stormed out of the auditorium.

Kurt just rolled his eyes, "And they call you and me the drama queens."

The petite brunette gave him a weak grin, but she was worried about how upset Finn was.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

A few days had gone by, and Finn found a reason to avoid Rachel on every one of them. It made her extremely insecure. She really couldn't argue with him, they actually were legitimate reasons. He had to make up a quiz he missed. Coach Bieste wanted to talk to him at lunchtime. Mr. Shuester wanted him to work on some dance moves with him and Mike. Extra football practices. His mom wanted him to see a math tutor to bring his grades up. They were all valid excuses for not eating lunch with her, or walking her to classes. During class, he was friendly, affectionate, but not overly so. He was actually paying attention in class, and not to her legs.

She was sure he was avoiding her, because of what happened in the auditorium on Monday. It would just look too needy and desperate to confront him over it. Rachel was Head Cheerleader, she had her pride.

Sitting at dinner, Friday night, Rachel was clearly distracted. Pushing her food around her plate, she missed her mother talking to her.

Santana looked at Brittany, who just shrugged. The Latina reached over and touched her younger daughter's arm. The cheerleader jumped a foot and screeched, startling everyone at the table.

"Sorry." She muttered.

"Are you ok Rachel, you are a million miles away tonight?"

Rachel smiled feebly, "I'm fine mom, I just have a lot on my mind."

"Anything we can help with baby?" Brittany said sweetly.

"No mama, it's really dumb stuff. You know, cheerleading, Glee Club, homework."

Santana sighed and put her fork down, "I know that being grounded really sucks. I know you want to see, or talk to Finn…."

"No mom, I deserved to be grounded. I mean, yes, I miss texting Finn. I miss riding with him, even though his car is a total pigsty. I really just have a lot on my mind. I'm really not brooding about being grounded. I promise." The brunette said sincerely.

Santana bit her lip, and studied her youngest daughter's face. She was a lawyer. She knew Rachel was being honest about the grounding. Yet, she was as equally sure her mood wasn't about homework.

"I've had a headache all day, may I be excused. I think I would like to turn in early tonight."

"Baby, you didn't eat a bite tonight." Brittany worried.

"You know you can talk to your mama and me about anything, right baby girl?" Santana asked seriously.

"I'm really fine. I'll be fine after a good night sleep. I promise to eat a big breakfast, alright mama?" She smiled winningly.

Quinn recognized it as her show face. She couldn't believe her mothers' were falling for it.

Brittany sighed, "You're excused."

Rachel got up and hugged and kissed both her moms. She said goodnight to Quinn, and went upstairs quickly.

Santana turned to Quinn, "Something we should know about?"

"If there is, it's news to me. She was fine at school. Maybe, she really just has a headache. Her psychotic cheerleading coach had the squad running suicides in the gym for over an hour." She shrugged lightly, but she had her suspicions. Finn and Rachel seemed distant, and that was a good thing as far as Quinn was concerned.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck sauntered over to Quinn's locker. She and Mack were standing around talking.

"Hey there babes. So, tall, punk, and gorgeous, wanna go to Homecoming with me?"

The pink haired Quinn snorted out an amused laugh, "I'd rather have a frontal lobotomy."

Mack grinned, "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy."

She and Quinn laughed while Puck looked uncomfortable, "What's a frontal whatever, it sounds dirty. Is it?"

Quinn shook her head, "All our best lines are wasted on you. It's a good thing you're cute." She teased.

"Puckzilla is not cute. I'm badass, and I'm hot as hell." He said indignantly, flexing his guns.

Mack turned to him, "Why are you looking for a date to that lame ass dance? Are you really thinking about going? Did you get a concussion in practice or something."

He sighed, "Coach says I have to. I'm on the Homecoming Court. If I don't show up, I'm benched."

Quinn stopped walking suddenly. Mack and Puck plowed right into her.

"The fuck Quinn?" Puck griped. He was looking around to make sure no one saw him do something decidedly uncool.

"That's actually perfect. You need to watch Rachel and Finn. Make sure that ass doesn't do something stupid." She turned and said anxiously. She had been worried about Rachel being with Finn at the dance.

"Sure, I'll watch her, if you go to the dance with me." He tried to bargain.

"I really can't Puck, I'm still grounded. No way would they let me go. They only let Rach go because she's nominated. I guess my mama was Homecoming Queen, back in High School."

"Fuck yeah. Both your moms are grade-A MILF's, totally hot. I have them both in my spank bank."

"Jesus Puck," Quinn smacked him in the back of his head, "I don't want to know that you think about my moms' like that. Ugh, I may never eat again."

She turned and looked at her best friend. She raised a questioning eyebrow.

Mack looked uncomfortable, "What? So I think your moms' are hot, so what."

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Quinn shook her head, "You could go with Puck. Two people watching Hudson are better than one!"

"No fucking way Q!" Mack cried out, "I don't do high school well, I totally don't do lame ass dances. I totally love you, but no."

Puck snorted, "I'd pay money to watch that."

Quinn turned back to him, "I'll pay you!" Quinn wheedled.

Puck turned back around and paid attention. Mack slapped him in the chest, "He'll watch Rachel for nothing."

"Fuck I will!" He frowned at Mack.

Mack grabbed his shirt front and pulled him down until they were face level, "You will watch Rachel, and you will do it for free. If I get forced into going to this fucking dance because of you, I will turn you from a he, into a she! Got me stud?"

The muscular jock unconsciously put his hands down protectively over his crotch. He nodded yes. Turning to Quinn, he smiled, "I was just kidding Q. I'll keep an eye on Rae for you. No one puts anything over on the Puckster, especially not that douchebag Hudson.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Finn was his old self the week before the Homecoming dance. He was back to touching her inappropriately in class, and begging for sex during lunch. As much as it irritated the diva, it was a welcome return to normal.

She listened to the other cheerleaders in the locker room. All their boyfriends had sex on the brain. It seemed to be the status quo for all the high school boys.

Santana and Brittany had given Rachel permission to go to the Homecoming game and dance. She was nominated for Homecoming Queen and it was fitting she be there. Her moms' had been very impressed with her behavior lately. They told her they were proud of her. The only stipulation was she had to be home by midnight when the dance ended. She was not allowed to attend any of the after-parties. Rachel knew Finn would be angry about that, but she felt lucky to be able to attend the dance. Usually her mothers' were very unbending about being grounded.

The entire family was going to be at the football game. The Homecoming King and Queen would be announced at half-time. Rachel and Finn had both been nominated. She was excited, but she didn't expect to win. Glee club has somewhat cast a pall on her popularity, but she didn't care. The Glee Club was her ticket out of Lima, Ohio. When she had a Tony or an Oscar on her shelf, she wouldn't care about a Homecoming crown.

On Friday, Finn tried to guilt Rachel into spending lunch in his car making out, "Come on, you owe me. We won't be able to be alone at all tonight, since you have to go home right after the dance." They were standing at her locker.

This time Rachel was adamant, "It's against school rules to be in the parking lot at lunch time. If we get caught, I can kiss the dance goodbye. I'm not risking it Finn."

"We're not going to get caught. I want you Rachel. I don't want to wait anymore."

The brunette exhaled an exasperated breath, "The first time I make love, is not going to be in the backseat of your disgusting car, Finn Hudson. I said no, I mean no." She stamped her foot and walked off leaving him staring at her back.

She missed the look of rage that played across his face. He turned and punched the locker, denting it with his fist. He thought Rachel was different. She was just a cock tease like all the other Cheerios. Well, he'd fix that tonight.

_**To be continued….**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**RATED M with adult content including TRIGGER WARNINGS for this chapter. It's intense, so if you are triggered by these things please BE AWARE OF MY WARNINGS.**_

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**Chapter 9**_

The entire family was at the Homecoming Football game. Mack even came and tried to hide behind Quinn, but Santana called her down and let her sit with them. Brittany raised an eyebrow at Santana, but she just replied with a shrug, "I know Q's still grounded, but it's a public football game. Let the kid sit with us if she wants."

Brittany snuggled up against the Latina. It was getting cold out. She had on her North Face jacket, her Elmer Fudd hat with the ear flaps, and mittens. She was still freezing. She leaned into Santana's ear and whispered, "I don't think anyone at home cares for the girl. It's nice you look out for her."

Santana shrugged again, she hated getting caught being nice, "She's a good kid. Especially for having no mom and a drunk father. I don't mind having her around, Puckerman either. Someone has to give a shit about these kids."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

After the Homecoming selection at half-time, Rachel ran over to her family. She accepted hugs and kisses from her mothers. Quinn gave her a half-smile, "I'm really sorry you didn't win Rach!"

Rachel smiled, she could tell her sister was being sincere, "Thanks, I'm only a sophomore. I really didn't expect to win anyway. I think it should be a senior that wins anyway."

Brittany smiled and kissed her again, "That's right baby, you have two more years to go anyway. I know you'll be Homecoming Queen someday! You are beautiful and special baby, and people can see that."

"Thanks mama, I have to go back to the locker room and get ready for the rest of the game."

"Do you have everything you need for the dance?" Brittany inquired of her youngest.

"And you remember the rules?" Santana added.

Rachel had to force herself not to roll her eyes. It was all they had talked about for days, "I know; no leaving the gymnasium, keep my phone on me at all times, and no leaving to go to any parties. You or mama will pick me up in the parking lot at 1am when the dance is over, so no catching a ride home from Finn or anyone else.

Quinn and Mack actually breathed a sigh of relief. Neither one of them wanted Rachel in the car alone with Finn Hudson. Both girls had their reasons, but Mack had never told Quinn about her close encounter with the jock in the park. She was afraid of further upsetting her best friend.

Santana took in Rachel's serious demeanor, "Ok, we are trusting you tonight, baby girl. You've been showing your mama and I that you are trying to change. Believe me Rachel, you won't like what happens if you break our rules tonight, I'm very serious."

Rachel actually squirmed; it made Quinn feel sorry for her. She always hated when her parents' hinted at her punishments in public. It was humiliating. She watched her younger sister blush in embarrassment.

"I promise. I'm on my best behavior tonight." She hugged everyone goodnight, and jogged off towards the school locker room.

Quinn watched her go. She was feeling very uneasy about tonight, but wasn't sure why. It was just a dance, and Rachel wouldn't be leaving the auditorium. She pulled her phone out, and texted Puck again about his promise to keep an eye on Rachel. It made her even more uneasy when she didn't get a reply.

"Mom, can I go grab some hot cocoa?" She turned on the charm, knowing her mom had a hard time resisting a good old-fashioned pout, "It's freezing."

Brittany clapped her hands together merrily, "Oh San, I would love some cocoa too. I bet Mack and Quinn can get you some hot coffee!"

Santana grumbled as she pulled a $20 out of her wallet, "Q, grab four hot cocoas, and any food you or Mack want. Can you get me and mama some popcorn?"

Quinn nabbed the money and saluted, "Absolutely, I'll be right back." She and Mack headed down the bleacher stairs.

They got to the long line at the concession stand, and Quinn handed the money to Mack, "Puck isn't answering my texts. I'm going to go find him. You stay in line, I'll be right back."

"Q, he is playing football right now. The phone is probably in his jeans pocket, in his locker. He isn't going to forget to watch out for Rachel."

"Mack, please? I'm crawling out of my skin knowing she's going to be with that dick tonight." Quinn begged.

"Your mother is going to kill you if she finds out." Mack tried one last resort.

"I got that covered," She leaned forward and hugged Mack, "Thanks for being my friend. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Jesus, fine already, just go find Puck." She replied gruffly, but still hugged Quinn back.

Quinn smiled, then snuck off the back way towards the locker room. She slammed into Puck coming out of the school.

"Where is your phone?" She demanded rudely.

"In my jockstrap! Where the hell do you think it is, Q?" He seemed distracted, "Why, what happened?" He eyed her suspiciously.

"Nothing, I just wanted to remind you to watch out for Rachel."

"Chill out Q, I said I would, didn't I?" He smirked at her, "You sure you don't want to hang with Puckzilla tonight." He wiggled his eyebrows, suggestively.

"I told y….." The punk girl started.

"Quinn Cordelia Lopez-Pierce!" She spun around to find herself face to face with her angry mother, "What are you doing over here by the school, and not where you said you were going to be? You are still grounded young lady."

She gulped, "I was going to my locker to grab my history book. I forgot I had a paper due by Monday. I started it, but I still need my book. I'm sorry; I should have run back to the stands and cleared it with you."

Her mother's dark eyes glared at her oldest daughter and the football player suspiciously. He held his hands up in surrender.

"I was just headed back to the field. I almost ran Q over on her way into the school. Honest to God Mrs. LP, you know I wouldn't lie to you. I'm like totally afraid of you. You are way more badass than I am."

Quinn groaned out loud, as she turned to stare at her friend, "REALLY Puck? You are such an idiot."

To both their surprise, Santana actually laughed out loud at that, "Smart boy Puckerman, way smarter than you look with that stupid haircut." She turned to her daughter, "Go ahead and get your book. Then get your wandering little ass back to your mama. I just got a call from police headquarters. I have to run downtown to the precinct. There's some business I have to handle that won't wait."

"Thanks Mom!"

"Thanks Mrs. LP!"

"I'm texting your mama now," She held up her phone, "you have five minutes to get back to your seat. You better move it." She pointed to her watch, "And you," Santana glared at Puck, "Tell Hudson to try something other than running the ball up the middle. It's not working."

Puck snorted, as Quinn rushed into the school to find the history book she didn't really need.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

While Rachel was walking on sunshine, Finn was anything but. He was angry and aggravated. She found him stalking around the Cheerios locker room door, clearly waiting for her.

"Where have you been?" He snarled at her, as she walked into the locker room. He followed close on her heels.

The little diva frowned at his tone, "I wanted to go over and say hello to my family, why?" She opened her locker.

"It never occurred to you to take me along? I am still your fucking boyfriend, aren't I?" He argued petulantly, "Or are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

She stopped digging through her locker, and turned to look at him. He looked like a large, overgrown, insecure toddler. Instead of snapping at him, she answered soothingly, "Of course you are. It's just my moms' are still angry about you throwing the slushy at Quinn. Actually, they are still pretty upset with me as well. I just wanted to spare you their attitude, that's all." She tried to rub his arm, but he yanked it away. She was quickly losing patience with his mood tonight.

"Finn, what is going on, really? This isn't like you to act this way." She tried again patiently.

He slammed the locker next to her loudly, "Seriously? What's going on? How about we are getting our asses kicked on the football field? How about people talking about replacing me as quarterback? How about you and I lost as Homecoming King and Queen, to some losers? How about you can't go to the party with me later? How about half the time you don't even act like my girlfriend? I want to be with you Rachel. It drives me crazy that you don't want to be with me."

Rachel snapped, "I want to be with you Finn. I really do love you. I just don't want to have sex yet, and that's the whole point isn't it?" She spun around to face him, "I told you I'm not ready, but you don't seem to care what I want." Rachel was angry and hurt.

"If you loved me, like you say you do, you would _want_ to sleep with me. I don't _want_ to wait anymore. I _need _you, to want to be with is this relationship always about what you want?" He shouted at her.

She shook her head angrily, "That's almost too funny. I've been walking around on eggshells, doing everything you want to do. You know why? Because I actually care about how you feel. You don't listen when I talk, you don't care about my feelings, and all you want is sex. Fine, go fuck some Cheerio for all I care!"

"You better be careful what you say, I just might!" He threatened.

Rachel slammed her locker shut, spun the dial, and tried to storm out of the locker room, "I don't give a shit what you do anymore!"

His eyes narrowed, and his face darkened, "What are you saying, Rachel?" He asked dangerously.

She stopped and glared at the boy, currently towering over her, "Just what I said, Finn. I don't care anymore. We are finished."

He blocked her from leaving, "You don't break up with me! Who the hell do you think you are? You are a nothing at this school without me." He was losing it.

Rachel backed away from his flailing arms, "I can't believe I never really saw you before. Quinn was right about you. I'm ashamed I let you bully my own sister, all because I thought I loved you." She shook her head in shame, and tried to push past him.

He grabbed her arm roughly, "What did that little bitch say about me?" He growled, pulling her towards him, "She's a fucking liar!"

The cheerleader felt a surge of fear, "Let go of my arm Finn, you're hurting me." She ripped her arm away from his, and stomped on the top of his foot. It was a move her mom had taught her, "Leave me alone you asshole!"

She ran away from him, out of the school, and back onto the football field. Rachel wiped away her tears with her hand towel. She didn't want anyone to see her upset. Walking over to the other Cheerio's, she just glared at Finn as he limped his way to the bench. The tiny brunette was going to have fun tonight. How dare he say she was nothing without him? She'd show him. She was someone alright.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana was sitting in the car, she had just finished talking to her friend at the precinct. She hated having to leave her family. Friday night, watching Rachel cheer and McKinley lose, badly, was allocated to her family. She could unwind, relax, and be herself. Rachel was a talented, beautiful girl. She and Brittany loved watching her cheer. They loved her singing competitions even more. Santana made a mental note to herself to tell Rachel how proud she was of her. She knew she didn't do that often enough.

She noticed Rachel sprinting from the school towards the football field. "Damn, she's fast." Santana mused to herself, "She should take up track." She watched her baby make her way towards the other Cheerios. She couldn't see her face, and she wondered what the big rush was about. The game wasn't going to start for another ten minutes.

Santana watched grimly as Finn Hudson emerged from the school, and stared angrily after Rachel. "Well, that explains her hurry," She thought grimly, "they must have had an argument." She wished she had been able to see Rachel's face. Santana hated the idea of leaving if Rachel was upset. The Latina couldn't put her finger on why, but she just didn't like Finn Hudson. With all her years in the legal system, Santana had learned to trust her instincts about people. Everything about the tall teenager pushed her buttons. As much as she wished for her baby's happiness, she hoped Rachel would find someone else. Neither Santana nor Brittany liked who Rachel was around Finn. He was destined for a life in Lima, and it was clear Rachel was not.

Sighing heavily, Santana wondered if she was too hard on Rachel. Sure she could be a huge selfish brat at times. There were times Rachel's ego certainly overpowered her common sense, but Santana had that in common with her youngest child. The girl was driven; there was no doubt about that. She was going places. Santana and Brittany had recognized early on that Rachel didn't seem to belong in Lima, Ohio. Her talent sometimes scared Santana, it was so overwhelmingly big. She had worked so hard to rein in Rachel's ego, she wondered if sometimes she forgot to just let her baby know she was there for her, no matter what. She hoped both her daughters knew that already, without being told.

Putting the car in drive, she headed into work feeling vaguely unsettled. She'd talk it out with B. Her beautiful wife always helped her sort her feelings out.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany and Quinn arrived home around 9:30 pm, "Are you hungry honey? I'm not sure how late your mom is going to be, but I can make us some soup and sandwiches."

The girl looked at her mama; she really just wanted to go to her room. Quinn knew she was going to be going crazy until Rachel got home. Spending time with her mama would at least distract her from worrying more than she already was.

"Actually, I am starving, mama. I'm going to run upstairs, and take a hot shower first. It got cold out, didn't it?"

Brittany was pleased Quinn had agreed to eat with her. She felt like her oldest child was always avoiding her lately. "It did, I'm freezing cold. A hot shower sounds great. I'll meet you back down here in half an hour and we'll see what we can scrounge up to eat."

Quinn was walking up the stairs, when her tall, blonde mother bounded past her laughing, "Race you for the big shower!"

"Hey no fair, you have a shower in your bathroom!" She scrambled to get past her mother.

Brittany just laughed cheerfully, racing up the stairs, pushing Quinn out of the way playfully.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana was sitting at a desk at the police station. She had a coffee in one hand, and a glazed donut in the other, "I can't believe you called me down here on a Friday night, and didn't save me a crème filled."

Her friend, Reina Sanchez, just shook her head, "Quit bitching, at least the coffee is fresh." The detective and the lawyer had bonded years ago. At the time, they were the only females, let alone Latina's, in the primarily male field of law enforcement. They had known each other for over ten years now.

"If the douchebag wants to take the plea bargain, why is he still in there with his lawyer? Why am I still out here nearly an hour later?" Santana groused.

The detective snorted loudly, "You've been here for fifteen minutes, paciencia mi amiga! He's gonna take the plea. He is finally going away for a long time." Reina went back to typing her case notes, "If you're bored, you can go home. I'll call in some underling to accept his plea." She teased her impatient friend.

The lawyer exploded, "Like hell, I've been trying to put this pendejo away forever!" She saw her friend's shoulder's shaking in suppressed humor, "Ass!" She flung the half eaten donut at the woman, regretting the impulse immediately. She was starving.

Reina ducked, she loved Santana Lopez-Pierce, but the woman was never going to change. It was so easy to push her buttons.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel was having the time of her life at the dance. She felt so free and unburdened. The cheerleader hadn't realized how much energy it took to keep Finn Hudson happy. After dancing wildly for at least twenty minutes, Rachel was hot and thirsty. She wandered casually over to the refreshment table.

Puck sauntered over to her, "So what's with you and Baby Huey? I haven't seen you dance with him all night."

Glancing over her shoulder, she announced proudly, "I broke up with the jerk. Want to dance Noah?"

He offered his arm, "Dance with the hottest chick here tonight? Hell ya!"

Rachel led him to the dance floor, "He said I was a nothing at this school. That I was a nothing without him." She choked up a little. The breakup was still a little new, and she was still a bit wounded, her ego bruised.

"That's because he's an asshole Rach. It's the other way around actually, and he knows it. That jerk is just a Lima loser, and he knows it." Puck shouted over the music coming from the vibrating speakers.

The brunette's bruised ego was salved, and so she rewarded Noah with a little dirty dancing. She threw back her head, flipped her long, chestnut hair over her shoulder and laughed freely for the first time in months.

Puck smiled, he liked this version of Rachel.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Finn was standing against the wall, in the far corner of the gym. He was watching that little slut rub all over Puckerman. She was just like her sister. He'd show her what she was missing. He'd show her what a real man could do.

Azimio Adams walked over and stood next to his friend, "Dude, why is Puckerman all over your woman?"

He laughed humorlessly, "Because I broke up with her at half-time. She actually thinks this is bothering me." He gestured towards the pair on the dance floor.

"It's bothering me, seeing her with that fucking loser. I might actually puke." Adams grumbled, "Want me to kick his ass?"

"No, don't bother. I'm going to forgive her pretty soon, and take her back. I have a room at the Lakeside Inn. I think some hot make-up sex is called for, don't you?" He elbowed his friend in the ribs jovially. Inside he was boiling over with rage, "I already paid for it. I can break up with her tomorrow, after I get some of that hot ass."

Azimio laughed callously, "Oh, that's cold man."

Finn reached down into his pants pocket, wrapping his fingers around the pill bottle. He shook it, feeling the power he possessed. "Soon Rachel Lopez-Pierce, you are going to get what you deserve, no one breaks up with me." He thought to himself.

He just had to be patient, but his anger and rage were making him reckless.

"You can do me a favor though. When I give the signal, find a way to distract Puckerman. I need to be alone with Rachel. He'll just get in the way. Can you handle that?"

The large linebacker nodded, "Anything for you Cap'n!"

Finn continued finalizing the plans in his head, as Azimio walked away completely unaware of the plans his quarterback had for his ex-girlfriend.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn finished eating, and went back to her room. It was getting late. Soon her mama would go pick up Rachel from the dance, and this nightmare would be over. Puck had texted her that Rachel dumped Finn. She felt like a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

She changed into some pajama pants, and a sweatshirt. Now, she just had to wait for Rachel to get home from the dance.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Finn knew it was now or never. He nodded towards Puck. Taking the hint, Azimio walked over to pick a fight with his teammate. Noah Puckerman swallowed the bait, and followed the burly linebacker out into the hallway, leaving Rachel alone.

The big jock dumped the little white pill into a glass of punch. He took the spiked punch and another glass over to Rachel. He tried to look apologetic as he walked up to her, "I'm really sorry for everything I said earlier. I was a total jerk."

She looked unmoved, "Thank you for apologizing, but I don't see how we can go out anymore. We really are over Finn."

He shrugged sadly, "Can we at least try to be friends?"

Rachel looked at Finn, he really did look upset, "I suppose we can try to stay friends. You can't say mean things about my sister anymore. Your anger scares me Finn, if you keep it up, we can't be friends either."

Finn swallowed his bile and plastered a fake smile on his face, "I understand Rachel, here you go," He handed her the spiked punch, "A little peace offering, you look thirsty." He watched her drain the glass.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck was sitting in his truck. He was pissed off. Stupid Adams starts the fight, and he gets kicked out of the dance. Quinn was going to kill him for sure. He had five minutes to get off school grounds or face suspension.

He decided to drive over to the Lopez-Pierce house, just to make sure Rachel got home safely.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel couldn't understand what was happening. She was dizzy, like she was drunk, but she hadn't had any alcohol. It was hot, and she was sweating profusely. A wave of nausea hit her like a freight train. It would be social suicide to throw up in public, at the school dance. She just couldn't understand why she couldn't think clearly. Her eyes were blurring, and she was having trouble controlling her arms and legs. She started to panic. She was really going to be sick.

Finn had been watching her like a hawk for the last twenty minutes. When he saw the drug start to affect her, he walked back over to her, "Hey Rach, you ok? You don't look so good?"

She shook her head and slurred her words, "Finn, thank god. I need… I think…. Help me get to the ladies room? I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Yeah, of course I will." He guided her out of the auditorium and down the hallway, to a rarely used restroom. Halfway there, she started to collapse to the floor. The jock picked her up bridal style and carried her out the side door to his car. No one even noticed them leave.

Rachel still felt sick, but she was having trouble staying awake. She was confused, but she knew she shouldn't be in his car. Her mom was going to kill her. She started to cry, "Finn, I want to go home. I'm so sick." Rachel tried to sit up, but fell over in the passenger seat.

Finn stayed silent, all the way to the cheap motel. He looked over at the brunette, she was a mess. There was no way Rachel could sit up straight, let alone walk. He grabbed his fake ID out of the glove box, and went inside to register for the room.

Rachel somehow managed to grab her cell phone out of her purse. Her house was speed dial 1, and Quinn was speed dial 2. She managed to place a call to her big sister. It was all she could think to do. She wanted Quinnie to save her, like she always did when they were little.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn was lying on her bed, reading a book. She noticed her cell was vibrating. She quickly answered when she saw it was Rachel calling, "Hey Rach, you ready to come home already?" She looked over at the clock, and saw it was only midnight. Rachel still had an hour, unless everyone bailed on the dance and headed to the party.

She was shocked to hear a frightened, sobbing Rachel on the other line.

"Qu qu quinn, please, I'm… I… just, can you help me?" She was sobbing and stuttering, "don't wan be here, need you .. help me."

"Rachel, slow down. What's wrong? Have you been drinking?" Quinn sat straight up in bed. Something was terribly wrong, Rachel didn't drink. The older teen's heart was pounding out of her chest.

"No, no drink, don't drink, just sick, really sick… wanna go home. Help me Quinnie, please." She hiccupped.

"Are you still at the school? I'll get mama to come pick you up." She rushed to get up off the bed. She would get her mama, she would know what to do.

"No, Finn, car…. Don't know where we are…. Oh God I'm scared, please save me." Rachel sobbed like a little girl, "My body not working right..."

Quinn's knees nearly buckled. Her sister was alone in the car with that rapist. He must have done something to her, she wasn't making any sense. Quinn was yelling at herself in her head, "Thing Quinn, think…what do I do, what can I do?" The thought of Rachel helpless, trapped, and scared was paralyzing her.

"Rachel, sweetie, don't be scared. Quinnie is going to get help, I promise. Sweetie, what's your password for your iPhone? You know that program that helps you find your lost phone? What did you use for a password?" The teen thought maybe she could track Rachel down using her phone.

The brunette's mouth was dry, and she was having trouble concentrating. It was awful, "so tired… wanna sleep now."

"RACHEL BARBRA, do not fall asleep! I need your password baby, please stay awake, what is it." Quinn cried desperately.

She heard Rachel sobbing brokenly, "He's coming back, so scared… help me Quinn, please… help me." The phone went dead.

Quinn stood there in shock, holding the useless phone in her hand. She dialed Puck, praying for him to answer. She nearly wept when he did. Quickly explaining Rachel's phone call, she begged him to help her find Rachel.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew he had been setup by Azimio Adams and Finn Hudson. That meant Adams was in on this, maybe he knew where Hudson took Rachel. He hung up with Quinn, gunned his engine and raced back to McKinley High School.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn grabbed her coat, and raced down the stairs. She wasn't thinking about anything, except how to find Rachel. Walking quickly into the kitchen, she located her mama's keys. She was almost out the door when her mama's voice stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going young lady? You are grounded. Not only that, you are in a lot of trouble trying to sneak out of the house at this hour." Brittany said sternly.

Quinn spun around, "You don't understand I have to go."

The tall blonde saw her daughter was distraught, "What's going on Quinn? What's wrong?" She said quickly.

"Everything, everything is wrong. This is all my fault. If I had just told someone the truth, but I was too ashamed and now he has Rachel." She started crying hysterically.

Brittany's heart was pounding in her ears, "Who has Rachel? You're not making sense, Quinn. What's your fault?" She grabbed the girl by the arms. The tall blonde was trying to keep her daughter from running, trying to get her to calm down.

"Finn! Finn has Rachel! She was crying, he's going to hurt her mama, please! I have to go; you have to let me go." The girl was trying to break away from her mama's grip. She was twisting and pulling as she kept sobbing.

Brittany shook her and spoke sternly, "Quinn! Stop it. Talk to me! Why on Earth would Finn hurt Rachel? What are you talking about? He won't hurt her baby."

"He will, he will. You don't understand. He's going to hurt her mama." She sobbed, "Please let go of me, I have to go. You don't understand." She was practically screaming, "I have to fix this, I have to save her. Rach needs me, she's depending on me. Please mama, you just don't understand!"

"What don't I understand, Quinn?" Brittany felt like life was happening in slow motion, "How do you know he's going to hurt her baby?"

"I just do!" She cried, pulling her stronger mother towards the door with her.

"How!" The usually calm blonde yelled loudly, startling her daughter. The woman watched as her daughter crumbled right before her eyes.

"Because he hurt me! Oh god, mama, he's going to rape her, just like he raped me." She fell to the floor sobbing brokenly. All the pain, the shame, the fear rose to the surface and she screamed it again, "He raped me mama, now he's got Rachel. You have to let me go! Please, I have to save her." Hazel eyes looked up in raw, naked appeal.

The blonde reached out for her daughter, but Quinn flinched away. She tucked herself into a tight ball of pain and shame, and screamed. It was a gut-wrenching scream of agony, and it tore a hole in the soul of Brittany Lopez-Pierce.

She fell to the floor as her legs gave out, and pulled her broken child into her arms. She was crying with Quinn, their tears mingling, "Oh sweetheart, why didn't you tell us? Oh baby, I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's not your fault baby, I swear, it's not your fault."

Quinn slapped her mama's hands away from her, "There is no time," She held her cell phone up and shook it in her mother's face, "She called me, he got her drunk, or drugged her, or something. She was crying and afraid. She was sick, and she wasn't making any sense. We have to save her mama, hurry!" The girl struggled to her feet. She couldn't deal with this now, Rachel needed her.

Brittany nodded, stood up and called her wife.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana stood, holding the phone in her hand. Not wanting to believe what she just heard, she looked like she was going to be sick.

Reina walked over to her old friend, "Bad news?" she enquired carefully.

The Latina turned to the detective, "Can we trace a cell phone from here? My baby, Rachel.." Her voice broke.

"What Santana? Rachel what?" Reina pushed.

"Quinn said she called her begging for help. She said she sounded drunk or drugged. Rachel wouldn't leave the dance with anyone voluntarily." Santana was trying to push down her fear and panic. Trying not to picture the angry face of Finn Hudson.

Reina grabbed her friend's arm, "What aren't you telling me Santana? I'm a detective, and you are a piss poor liar. What the fuck is going on?"

Santana sat down heavily in the chair; she put her head between her knees. She was trying to quell the sudden urge to vomit. Reina knelt down next to her friend.

"You're scaring me Santana, spit it out already."

She looked up at her friend with agonizing pain in her eyes, "Quinn just told Britt, the guy who has Rachel, raped her last year." Santana lunged for the garbage can, she couldn't control the heaving. It all made terrible sense now, Quinn's sudden personality change, her metamorphosis, the baggy clothes, the bad attitude. She had given up everything she loved. All the changes and she'd blown it off as teenage rebellion. Santana couldn't believe how stupid and naïve she had been. How had she not seen? Brittany had, and she had dismissed her fears about Quinn. God, what kind of mother was she?

Reina's detective training kicked in quickly. She picked up the phone, gave the lab her ID and ordered the cell trace, "What's her number San?"

Santana was still sitting on the floor, hugging the metal garbage can.

"Santana, snap out of it for Christ's sake. Rachel needs you, what's her number?"

That got her attention, Santana called out Rachel's number, as she struggled to get off the floor. Her babies needed her. She needed to get to her family.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck parked his truck and ran back into the school. He spotted Adams across the gym and blindsided him with a flying tackle. He started to pound on the stunned teenager, "Where did Hudson take her? Where did he take Rachel? Tell me or so help me God, I will kill you with my bare hands." He was screaming in Azimio's face.

"Jesus Puckerman, they went to the Lakeside Inn." The big teen had his hands up blocking his face, "Now get the fuck off of me you asshole."

Puck stood up, he felt hands grab him, but he shook them off and ran for his truck. He texted Quinn that Finn took Rachel to the Lakeside Inn. He got in, and headed for the sleazy motel. They all knew where it was. All the punks partied at the Lakeside.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Finn got the nearly unconscious Rachel inside the room, and dumped her roughly onto the bed. Rachel was a small girl, but right now she was dead weight. She landed on her phone, still in her hand, and it auto dialed the last number called, which happened to be Quinn's.

Quinn saw it was her sister, and gestured wildly to her mama. She was shell-shocked, frantic, and consumed with guilt.

"Answer it Quinn, hurry, before she hangs up," Brittany yelled, "I'm sorry, it's ok, just put it on speaker baby." Brittany said in a softer tone. Quinn was shell shocked, she needed patience. The blonde mother was having a nervous breakdown, but trying to get to her youngest child as quickly as possible.

"Rachel? Hello? Rachel, is that you?" Quinn yelled.

Neither Quinn nor Brittany was sure at first of what they were hearing. Everything was muffled, but if they strained, they could hear soft whimpers. It sounded like a wounded animal, and Brittany nearly fainted. She would know that voice anywhere, it was her baby, her Rachel.

Quinn held her hand over her mouth in terror, or to prevent herself from being sick, she wasn't sure. Brittany reached over and took her clammy hand in her own. She tried to calm her fragile oldest child. Brittany knew she was reliving her own nightmare, listening to this.

Both blondes jumped at the sound of a slap, and the harsh voice of Finn Hudson, "Wake up you bitch, I want you to see me and feel me. I want to see if you make the same noises your sister did when I plucked her cherry." He laughed bitterly.

Tears streamed down the anxious mother's face, but her heart grew cold. She grew more determined than ever to get there on time. Her baby was being hurt. She had to protect her. This evil person could not be allowed to steal the innocence from both her baby girls. Her instinct as a mother, to protect her child took over, and Brittany started getting angry.

"Record it mama!" Quinn said suddenly.

Brittany's brilliant blue eyes blinked owlishly, "What?" She whispered, trying to keep her eyes on the road, but pay attention to her oldest daughter at the same time.

"Its evidence, use your cell phone and tape what he's saying." Quinn hissed sharply.

The tall blonde dug her phone out of her pocket, and handed it to her daughter. Quinn held it close to her phone and started recording. It made her feel less helpless. She was finally doing something tangible that might stop Finn Hudson from ever hurting anyone, ever again.

They listened helplessly as Rachel struggled and cried, as Finn jeered and mocked her. Quinn moaned in physical agony as they heard another slap echo through the phone. Rachel cried and begged, her voice weak and slurred, "No, please Finn, don't….I don't understand. Get... off... get offff..."

He grunted in frustration, "No, sluts like you never do understand." They heard clothes ripping, as Rachel screamed loudly. The sound of a zipper being undone shouldn't be so loud. He must be on top of her, close to the phone. It was agonizing to listen to. The tension in the car was unbearable, as time slowed to a crawl.

Brittany tried to block it out. She was whispering words of comfort, love, and support to her baby. Telling her to hang on, mama was coming. She was praying to whoever would listen, that Santana and the police would get there quickly and stop this madness.

Quinn was trembling, as she kept recording. Every sound, every whimper, every groan, every cry, and every scream was branded into her soul. She could have stopped this last year. If he raped Rachel, she would kill him, then she would kill herself.

"You're mine now bitch. Wake up; I want to hear you beg." He growled, clear and loud. Rachel moaned piteously and the phone went dead.

"No, no, no, no… oh God. Rachel, hang on… we're almost there." Quinn cried, "Oh God, stupid phone."

Brittany had an idea, "Call her phone, baby. Call Rachel's phone, keep calling it. Maybe the ringing will slow him down. We're almost there." Quinn started dialing, praying her mama was right.

They finally got to the Lakeside Inn, Brittany turned into the parking lot on two wheels. She was out of the car, before it stopped moving or so it seemed to Quinn. While her mama ran into the office to find out what room they were in, Quinn saw Finn's car and ran to the door in front of it.

Turning the handle, she couldn't believe it opened. He must have had his hands full getting Rachel into the room. Quinn couldn't believe the dumbass didn't even lock the door. She flipped on the room lights, and made a low, deep, guttural sound as she saw a very naked Finn on top of her very naked baby sister. Rachel was thrashing from side to side, moaning.

Without thinking, Quinn launched herself at the very confused Finn. She was screaming unintelligibly, clawing his back, and trying to pull him off her baby sister. She grabbed his hair and yanked his head nearly off his shoulders. Finn backhanded Quinn, knocking her half way across the room. She hit her head on the television stand and collapsed unconscious to the floor.

"Whore!" He screamed at Quinn, getting up off of Rachel. He walked over to Quinn and kicked her hard in the ribs, "You fucking ruin everything, you fucking skanky whore!"

Brittany was headed for the room in a dead run, when she saw Santana pull up with a full police escort. They entered the room together, just in time to see Finn kick Quinn. The police were a good three steps behind with Reina yelling at Santana to wait for the police.

Santana stopped in the doorway, as an icy murderous calm descended over her. In less than five seconds she took in the scene; her unconscious oldest daughter being brutally kicked by a large, angry, naked Finn Hudson. She saw her baby, naked on the bed, moaning, with a large dusky bruise already blossoming on her cheek. Five seconds was all it took for Santana to break. She had always considered herself a decent woman, nothing like the scum she prosecuted. Right now, in this moment, she understood crimes of passion, and murderous rage. If she had a gun, a knife, or even a razor blade in her hair; Finn Hudson would be a dead man.

She was vaguely aware of Brittany bending over to check if Quinn was alright. Her wife then ran to Rachel, covering her nakedness as Santana calmly and methodically started to beat Finn Hudson into a bloody pulp. It was like a red haze had descended on all her senses as blow after blow struck the towering teenager. He tried to cover his face, so she aimed for his belly. When he covered his belly, she aimed for his face. With a scream of rage, she kicked him in the crotch as hard as she could, hoping she killed him, as hands and arms grabbed her and pulled her off of the cowering, blubbering Finn.

In her head, she wondered who was screaming swear words in Spanish, until she heard Reina's calm voice, "It's ok San, we got him, it's ok, calm down." Now she knew who had her held so tightly around the waist, "Santana, you're a lawyer, quit talking. Please… come on… B needs you, Rach and Quinn need you. Pull it together for them."

Once again, the reminder that her family, depended on her, counted on her, needed her was what finally calmed her down. The red haze of rage started to lift, and she felt physically ill. The shot of adrenaline that had coursed through her body, left her weak and trembling. Brittany needed her, Quinn and Rachel needed her, so she pulled her shit together.

The police had wrestled the struggling teenager to the floor and handcuffed him. He was bleeding profusely, and screaming in rage. An ambulance had arrived, Santana was shocked, she hadn't heard them come in. One paramedic was attending to Quinn, another was attending to Rachel as Brittany stood helplessly watching.

Santana turned to her Reina, "Let me go, I won't fucking kill him. Brittany is alone, let me go!" She twisted out of her friends arms and ran straight into her wife's. They held each other in shock and dismay, as the awful scene continued to unfold before their eyes.

The paramedic had Quinn sitting up and was checking her eyes for signs of head trauma, "Ma'am," He looked directly at Santana, "We need to get her to the hospital. I think it's just some bruised ribs and a mild concussion, but she's going into shock."

Santana almost snorted out a laugh, "No shit, Sherlock," She thought to herself, "I'd say we were all in shock." She just nodded solemnly. The inappropriate urge to laugh was clearly a sign of her own shock.

Brittany just continued to sob in her arms. The police had helped Finn get pants on, then drug him out to the waiting patrol car. She turned and watched the female paramedic trying to get Rachel to answer her coherently.

Reina conferred with Rachel's paramedic and then turned to Santana, "We're talking Rachel and Quinn to the hospital in the ambulance. The patrol is taking Hudson there as well; I think you broke his nose."

"I should have fucking killed the bastard." She growled.

Reina took her arm roughly, "Santana, look at me, shut the fuck up. Do not make another threat, do you hear me? You want this prick in jail or do you want him to walk?" She hissed sharply, "Is this kid 18 years old yet? Do you know?"

"Yeah, he's 18." The Latina growled, as she rubbed soothing circles on her wife's back.

"Good, alright, that's good." Reina looked relieved, "C'mon, I'll drive you and Brittany to the hospital."

The tall blonde suddenly came to life, "NO! I'm riding with my babies. I'm not leaving them alone." She tore away from Santana and glared at the detective.

Reina loved Brittany, and couldn't imagine what her friends were going through, "Ok, you ride in the wagon with the girls. I'll be right behind you with Santana." She spoke soothingly, like you would to a spooked horse, or a frightened child.

Quinn's paramedic walked up to Santana, "Here let me take a look."

She was confused, "Why? There's nothing wrong with me."

"You're bleeding ma'am." He gently reached down and took her hands in his own. For the first time, she saw the torn and bleeding knuckles. Her left hand looked broken. The blood of her daughter's attacker mixed with her own. She looked up at the paramedic and nodded dumbly.

"It's going to be ok, ma'am. Everything is going to be ok." He said reassuring the Latina, who was clearly in shock as well.

"Nothing is ever going to be alright again." She said simply. She watched as both her daughters were being loaded into the ambulance and her world came crumbling down around her, as did her sense of security and safety. She had failed them, she had failed them all.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**To be continued… please review….I hope this chapter didn't disappoint….**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**RATED M with adult content including TRIGGER WARNINGS for this chapter. It's intense, so if you are triggered by these things please BE AWARE OF MY WARNINGS.**_

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**Chapter 10**_

Santana was riding in the sedan with Detective Reina Sanchez behind the ambulance that carried her entire family. She was deathly silent and very pale. Her left hand was wrapped in snowy white gauze, but her torn knuckles were bleeding through to the surface. A paramedic had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, to keep her warm. It was important to stay warm while in shock, he had explained.

Reina had glanced at her friend a few times; it was like looking at Mount Rushmore. Santana Lopez-Pierce had completely shut down emotionally. She might as well have been made of stone.

"I'm here with you as your friend, cariño, not a detective. I will testify as what I saw him doing to Rachel, and what he said about Quinn. It's ok to talk to me Santana." The detective said gently to her broken friend.

"I failed them, I failed them all." She choked out desperately, "It's my job to keep them all safe. I swore it to Brittany in our wedding vows. I swore it to each of the girls, the first time I held them. I failed as a wife and a mother."

Reina pulled the car off the road.

Santana looked around frantically, "Why are you stopping? We'll lose them. I have to be there when they arrive at the emergency room."

Putting her hand on her friend's forearm to calm her, "Just take a second to breathe and calm down. You won't be any good to them like this." She waved her free hand vaguely around, "There was nothing you could do, cariño, nothing. You have rules for your girls, you watch them, you know their friends, and you know where they are. You cannot protect them from being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Santana stared out the car window, "I'm fine Reina, can we go now?" she muttered darkly.

"Brittany and the girls are going to need you now, more than ever. Feeling guilty right now is pointless, and you know it."

The mother shot a glare at her friend, "Oh really, is this coming from your vast years of experience as a parent?"

"No, it comes from over 18 years as a detective, dealing with scumbags like Hudson every day." She spat back.

"Sorry, I'm just all over the place emotionally right now. I shouldn't have said that. My head knows you're right, but my heart is broken and guilt-stricken." Santana exhaled shakily, "Let's just get to the hospital, Reina, alright?"

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The two girls were whisked into the ER on gurneys. The paramedics were talking to the doctors and nurses, the police were talking to the paramedics. It was terribly confusing. Brittany followed close behind her daughters. She watched in confusion as Rachel was taken in one direction and Quinn in the other.

Just as she was about to give in to her fear and frustration, and sit down on the floor and cry, Santana walked up behind her. She pulled her back into her warm, comforting embrace. Wrapping her arms around the shivering blonde in front of her, Santana kissed her shoulder softly, "Go with Quinn baby, I'll go with Rachel."

Brittany turned and looked at her with a questioning look, "I want to be there if the police talk to her. This has to go by the book sweetheart. It will be fine baby, stay with Quinn."

Her look of hesitancy melted into one of such trust and love, it took Santana's breath away. She nodded, kissed her wife's cheek, and rushed off in the direction they had taken Quinn.

Santana watched her until she was out of sight then turned and followed the gurney carrying Rachel.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

A young, blonde policewoman was standing outside of the room Rachel was in. She stood there with her the older detective. They were waiting for Santana before entering Rachel's room.

"This is Office Christine Rhodes, Santana; she works in the sexual assault division. She has a great deal of experience in these cases. Chris, this is Santana Lopez-Pierce, she is Rachel's mother as well as the prosecuting attorney for Allen County." Reina Sanchez introduced the two women.

The officer directed her attention to Santana, "I'm going to document the physical exam, take pictures of bruises if there are any, and oversee the collection of physical evidence." She watched the beautiful brunette flinch at her words, "I'm sorry to be so blunt, but as a prosecutor you understand the importance of getting this right. Making sure we follow the chain of evidence rules."

Santana nodded brusquely.

The detective placed her hand on Santana's shoulder, "Do you want me in the room with you San?" She whispered so only her friend heard her words.

"Please?" The mother's voice cracked with emotion.

"Okay, let's do this."

The two police followed the stoic mother into the room. A female doctor and a nurse were standing next to Rachel's bed. The young teen looked pale and she was clearly disoriented.

Santana stopped dead in her tracks. It was as if the last hour just suddenly became came into focus for her. This was no ordinary victim, this was her baby girl. She had been drugged, kidnapped, physically abused, and perhaps sexually abused. She felt a searing pain in her chest where her heart was. The room became blurry as tears flooded her eyes. She willed her feet to move and then walked swiftly to the bedside, softly speaking words of comfort to her child.

Rachel grasped the sleeve of her mother's jacket, and held on as she sobbed incoherently.

"Mija, this is Officer Christine," she motioned for the blonde to come closer, "she is here to talk to you baby. I'm right here with you. The doctor is going to check you over as well. We want to make sure you are ok." Santana didn't know how much Rachel could understand, but she wanted her to be aware of what was happening. She didn't want Rachel to be any more afraid than necessary.

The teen tried to focus her eyes, "Mama, where's mama?" she cried harder.

"Mama is in the other room with Quinn, baby. She bumped her head and is getting it checked out right now. I'm sure she is going to be fine, just like you."

The doctor spoke up, "We are going to need to take blood for the toxicology report. Does your daughter drink alcohol?" She snapped on a pair of blue gloves, "Any allergies, latex? Anything?"

Santana bit back her initial angry reply and said carefully, "She doesn't drink or do drugs. She isn't allergic to anything except cats."

Officer Rhodes moved to the head of the bed, and began speaking to Rachel in a soft, but professional tone of voice, "Where were you tonight Rachel?"

" homecoming dance." She sniffled.

"Good, very good. Did you drink any alcohol tonight Rachel?"

She shook her head violently, "I don't drink. I had punch, Finn gave me punch." She was clearly sleepy and was slurring her words.

"Rachel, I need you to stay with me, and talk to me. Can you do that?"

The teen whined and turned her head into her mother's chest, "Mommy." She cried softly.

Santana replied gently, "Rachel Barbra, I need you to pay attention and answer the officer now." She could not bring herself to respond harshly.

"Ok mommy, I'll try." She sounded like a very young child. It was breaking Santana's heart.

The Latina mother nodded at the blonde officer to continue.

"How did you get to the hotel Rachel?"

Rachel just shook her head.

"Do you remember calling your older sister with your cell phone?"

She shook her head negatively again.

Santana smoothed the hair of her youngest child's forehead carefully, "What do you remember mija?"

"The dance; Puck and I were joking around. Finn apologized and gave me punch." She said vaguely, "That's all till now."

Santana didn't know whether to be grateful or be devastated.

The police officer took out a plastic evidence bag, "Rachel, we need to take your clothes and get you into a hospital gown. We need to look for scratches and bruises. If there are any, I'm going to take a picture of them."

A lab technician had entered the room and was drawing blood. The nurse was helping the officer remove Rachel's party dress. Santana took a few steps back to let the professionals work. She backed right into the arms of her friend. Santana was not a woman to be touched, except by Brittany, but she was too distraught to fight the embrace.

She watched as the nurse and detective scraped under Rachel's nails. She gasped as she saw lurid bruises on her daughter's breast and hipbones. Santana tried to stop the vision of every rape she had ever seen on film from playing in her head. Officer Rhodes and the nurse finished documenting every scrape, scratch, and bruise. They wrote notes on a chart and bagged her clothes and personal belongings. Santana moved back to stand by Rachel's head. She watched helplessly as the doctor gently moved Rachel's feet into the stirrups at the foot of the bed.

Rachel groaned out loud and thrashed a little, "No, don't touch me, please, don't hurt me." She cried and sobbed. The teen was fighting hard. She obviously didn't realize where she was.

Both Santana, Officer Rhodes, the nurse, and the doctor started speaking at once. Rachel looked over at her mother and sobbed, "mommy, make them stop, please mommy, make it stop."

Tears rolled from dark, nearly black eyes, "Is this really necessary?" Santana cried along with her daughter.

The doctor peered at the mother over the sheet draping Rachel's lower half, "Unfortunately, we don't really know what did or didn't happen. I need to look, check for bruising, scratching, or tearing. I need to take swabs for semen and other fluids. I know this is hard, but we are almost finished. Just hang on a little longer."

Santana looked at the woman desperately, "We'll be able to find out if she was, you know, if he…." She broke off, saying the word rape made it all too real.

"I'll be able to tell if there was trauma to the tissue. I'll be able to test the swabs for fluids. We'll know something soon. The toxicology results will take a little longer, but we are going to treat her for ingesting rohypnol. It's most likely what is causing her confusion and prohibiting her from remembering what happened. Are you ready ma'am?"

Santana nodded and the doctor proceeded with the physical exam.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany walked back out into the waiting room. They were taking Quinn for a CAT scan of her head, and she couldn't accompany her. She looked down the hall and wondered fretfully what was happening with Rachel.

She was shocked to see Puck and Mack sitting in the waiting room. It was clear both had been crying from their red, swollen eyes. Both teens stood up immediately on seeing their friend's mom enter the waiting room.

Brittany walked over and gathered both upset teenagers in her arms. She shushed them gently and hugged them both close to her. The blonde instinctively knew what they needed right now.

Puck pulled away, "I let him trick me, and I left Rachel alone at the dance. I'm so sorry Mrs. LP." He was beside himself with guilt and worry.

The tall blonde cupped the tall teen's face with her soft, warm hands, "This is nobody's fault but Finn Hudson's. We would have never found Rachel tonight without you Noah. Don't you dare apologize to me, you've done nothing wrong. You may have helped save my baby girl tonight. I'm so grateful to you, Noah Puckerman." She pulled the boy close to her and held him tightly. Letting go of his pain and guilt, he sobbed on her shoulder like a little boy.

Hearing her tall, strong friend crying upset Mack more than she could bear. Sitting helplessly in the waiting room for the last 45 minutes, all she could think was what if? What if I had gone to Brittany and Santana about Quinn? What if I had gone to the dance with Puck like Quinn wanted? What if I had gone to the police and reported Finn for what happened at the park? What if I had told Quinn what happened at the park? Jesus, she was going crazy with worry for both Rachel and Quinn. She turned suddenly and punched the wall as hard as she could.

"Lauren!" Brittany scolded, rushing over to her and taking her hand in her own gentle hands, "That won't help anything, and I don't want you to hurt yourself sweetie." She turned and looked at Puck, "Noah, can you go get some ice for Lauren's hand?"

Both teens were momentarily amused by the warm woman's refusal to use their nicknames. Brittany Lopez-Pierce was the mom everyone wished they had. Even if she could be scary strict and seemed to see into your very soul, and root out every ounce of guilt with her omniscient, crystal blue eyes. The woman just radiated love and acceptance; both teens loved her dearly, and never doubted her love for them.

"Come on sweetie, sit here next to me. Let me look at your hand." She fussed over her oldest daughter's best friend, tsking at the bruises appearing on her knuckles.

She smiled beatifically up at Puck as he handed her an ice pack he had gotten from the receptionist behind the front desk, "thank you honey."

Mack looked up with stormy eyes at the calm, blonde mom, "Is that bastard here?"

"Language Lauren," She said automatically, "I don't think so. If he is, I haven't seen him."

Puck stood up and paced angrily, "I'm going to kill him. If I find out Adams was part of this, I'm going to kill him as well."

Mack pulled her hand from Brittany's and stood up to Puck, "Not if I find him first. He needs a baseball bat to the head, fucking bastard."

Brittany stood up quickly, "That's enough out of both of you," She said sternly, "There has been enough violence tonight. Don't you think I want him to suffer? What will that do? Will it help Quinn with her pain, or Rachel with hers?" She pointed strictly at the chairs, "Now, sit back down and stop all this talk of revenge. Don't you know an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind?"

The two rebellious teens glared at the blonde mom stubbornly, but Brittany was having none of it.

She took two steps and got right up in their faces and whispered harshly, "Sit your butts down now; I'm not going to say it again!"

Both teens swallowed and obeyed instantly. They didn't want to push the usually gentle blonde, especially when her eyes were flashing fire.

Brittany sat in between them and wrapped her arms around them both, "Thank you, now, let's all relax. Quinn and Rachel are going to be fine. Santana and I are going to be fine. You two are not going to kill anyone, and are going to be fine. We are going to let the police handle this." She said as much to reassure herself as the teens gathered under her maternal arms.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn's doctor came out to find Brittany. He reassured her that Quinn was going to be fine. She had a concussion, and needed stitches but she would be fine. They wanted to keep her overnight and monitor her.

Brittany started to panic, but Puck spoke up, "Mrs. LP, they always keep people with concussions overnight, right dude?" He turned to the doctor for confirmation.

"It's true; we do like to keep an eye on anyone with head trauma." He answered professionally quelling his amusement at being called dude.

Mack looked at Puck with an eyebrow raised, "How do you know that Puckerman?"

"Dude, I watch Grey's Anatomy." He scoffed.

"You watch Grey's Anatomy?" Everyone asked.

He blushed a bright red, "Lots of hot chicks on that show."

Santana walked out into the waiting room and flung herself into a startled Brittany's arms.

"Baby, San, what is it?" She said panicking as her usually indomitable wife broke down crying.

Brittany could feel her heart thudding in her chest with fear. Can you die from being drugged? "Of course you can!" She scolded herself mentally.

"Santana! Just say it!" She begged.

The Latina felt her legs giving out, as Brittany helped her to a chair. The blonde knelt down in front of her wife and put both her hands on her jeans clad knees.

Santana looked up into the bright, blue orbs that held her heart, "She wasn't raped. Brittany, he didn't rape her. We got to her in time."

Everyone in the room gasped and shouted at the same time. Officer Rhodes and Detective Sanchez stood back from the family and watched from afar. They were glad that today had a different outcome than most of the cases they investigated.

The two mothers just held each other and cried. Puck and Mack had jumped into each other's arms, and then jumped away from each other as if they had been scalded.

It took a few minutes until everyone got their emotions under control. Santana looked at her soulmate, "Quinn?"

"She has a concussion and they are going to have to stitch up the cut on the back of her head. They want to keep her overnight, but she is alright."

Santana nodded solemnly, noticing the teenagers for the first time. She stood up and walked over to Mack and took her in her arms, "Quinn is lucky to have a friend like you. Thank you for being here. She is going to need you now more than ever." She held the girl tightly, "I don't want you to feel guilty. You didn't want to betray your best friend. I understand that."

Mack pulled away in shock, her mouth hanging open, her arms dropped from the Latina's waist and stayed at her side.

"She did tell you, didn't she?" the brunette said softly.

Mack nodded mutely, pain obvious on her face and in her eyes.

"You're a good friend Mack. She loves you and so do we. Stick with her, ok?"

"Always Mrs. P, I swear it." She choked out emotionally.

Santana turned to Puck and pulled him towards her, "Thank you for looking out for Rachel tonight. I know you take care of Quinn as well." She took Mack's hand in her free hand, "Brittany and I love you like you were our own. Don't ever forget that. We owe you guys."

Brittany walked over and joined in the group hug, "We are going to stay here with the girls tonight. You both need to get home and get some rest."

Puck pulled out of the embrace first, "Are you sure, we can hang out in the waiting room?"

"No, you can listen to Brittany and go home and get some sleep. Detective Sanchez will give you lift home?" She looked over at the detective who nodded at her friend.

The mohawked boy paled instantly, "Yeah, that's ok, I have my truck. I don't do so well in the back of police cars." Mack nodded her agreement.

Santana growled at the pair, "Get over it, I don't need to worry about you two wrapped around a telephone pole tonight."

Brittany smiled at the teenagers, nobody argued with Santana when she used that tone.

Puck and Mack followed Detective Sanchez out of the hospital to her car.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The hospital had admitted Quinn and Rachel for observation. The tiny diva was hooked up to an IV of fluid to counteract the date rape drugs. She had fallen asleep and stayed asleep.

Quinn had been given something for the pain, and had finally cried herself to sleep. She had been trying to stay quiet. Her guilt over what happened to Rachel was eating her alive.

Officer Rhodes had assured Santana that Finn Hudson was under arrest for assault and battery, felony kidnapping with attempt to do bodily harm, and more charges if the toxicology report showed Rachel was drugged. She also wanted to talk to Quinn about what Finn had done to her last year, but agreed to do it later. Anyone could see Quinn was in no shape to give a statement tonight.

Brittany had pushed Quinn's bed over next to Rachel's bed. She wanted her family surrounding her tonight. Santana climbed in the bed next to Rachel, careful of the IV in her bruised arm. She put her right arm up under her head and wrapped her left around Rachel's abdomen.

Brittany climbed in the bed next to Quinn and snuggled up behind her. She felt the pink-haired teen stiffen involuntarily but relax when her mother spoke softly in her ear. She mimicked her wife's position, only she reached over both her daughter's and took Santana's free hand.

They stayed silent and awake for a long time. Brittany finally fell into a deep, exhausted sleep, but Santana could not.

Now that she knew both girls were going to be fine, she felt a deep anger start to burn inside of her. She was furious that Quinn had known what kind of man Finn Hudson was. She had let her baby sister date a monster, while she stayed quiet about him. She was so torn, she felt like a bad mother for blaming her child, but she couldn't shake the feelings.

Rachel had gotten lucky tonight, no thanks to her sister. She glared at the sleeping blonde before she felt a tenderness for her oldest child temper her emotions. It seemed like only yesterday, she held the squalling, red infant as her blonde mother cried with happy exhaustion.

She had helped clean her first-born, and had cradled her close and sang her lullabies in Spanish. Santana had promised her the moon, and her love had never wavered. Even though she was Rachel's birth mother, she had never differentiated between the girls. They were both her daughters. She loved them equally. She weighed that in her mind, if that had anything to do with her anger towards her oldest daughter. Santana breathed a sigh of relief as she realized her love for Quinn had not changed in the slightest. She was just angry at the secrets. She and Brittany had always been there for their daughters. How could Quinn not share something this huge with them?

Quinn had kept a terrible secret, but it was irresponsible to have kept it from them when her sister was dating her rapist.

Santana lie awake all night long fighting her feelings of anger and guilt. Wondering how she was going to work past this. Quinn needed her now, as did Rachel. Still, she couldn't seem to push the anger away. It tormented her. Still holding Brittany's hand, she was grateful for her family and their safety. Santana Lopez-Pierce knew something had protected her family this day.

She finally fell into a fitful sleep as she prayed for guidance from whoever was listening, still gripping her wife's hand, and her face pressed into the back of her baby's head.

_**To be continued….**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

_**RATED M with adult content including TRIGGER WARNINGS for this chapter. It's intense, so if you are triggered by these things please BE AWARE OF MY WARNINGS.**_

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**Chapter 11**_

Santana woke up with a start, and looked around in confusion. She was panicked for a moment, not recognizing where she was. Her eyes focused, and she saw Quinn asleep in the bed next to her. No one else was in the room. They were still in the hospital. She wasn't dreaming, last night really did happen. The Latina sat up slowly. Her head was pounding, and her eyes felt raw like they had sand in them. It was from crying.

"Where are Brittany and Rachel?" She wondered. She got up to use the bathroom, just as a nurse came in the room.

"Oh Mrs. Pierce, you're up. Your daughter went down to x-ray, her wrist was swollen and bruised this morning. Your wife went with her; she asked that we not wake you or your other daughter."

Santana nodded, all business, "Thank you, do you know if they have toothbrushes in the gift shop?"

"Don't worry about buying one; I'll bring you some for everyone." She was young, but professional and trying to be helpful.

Santana smiled at her, "That would be great, thank you. How long ago did they go to x-ray?"

"Not that long ago, they will probably be awhile. In-patients get priority over walk-ins, but it still takes a little time. There is coffee in the family lounge." She finished brightly.

"I could use some coffee."

"Help yourself, and ring if you need anything at all." The busy nurse left the room quickly.

Santana continued to the bathroom to get cleaned up a little before Brittany and Rachel got back.

_**-0-0-0-0-**_

The brunette was sitting in the chair, reading a magazine she found in the lounge. She was sipping something that tasted faintly like battery acid. Every sip forced a grimace, but Santana really needed the caffeine if she was going to survive today.

She looked up from the mangled magazine when Quinn groaned. Jumping out of the chair, she made her way to the bedside of her oldest daughter. The usually punk looking girl looked very small and vulnerable in the oversized hospital gown. Despite Santana's mixed emotions about Quinn keeping secrets from her and Brittany, this was her baby. She had been assaulted, and was in pain. She had been raped, and was clearly still suffering the aftereffects.

The Latina mother suppressed the urge to murder Finn Hudson for the 100th time in two days.

Quinn's hazel eyes opened, slightly out of focus, "Mom? Where are we?" she said thickly. Exhaustion was plain in her voice, and written all over her face.

Her mother placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, "We're still at the hospital Quinn. Rachel and your mama went to x-ray," she used her other hand to brush the bangs off her oldest daughter's forehead, "How does you feel?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," The teenager groaned.

Santana chuckled ruefully, "Not far off, you got assaulted by the Jolly Green Giant."

She watched as the events of yesterday played out across her daughter's beautiful expressive face. Santana saw guilt win out over all the other emotions Quinn was obviously feeling.

"Rachel?" Quinn struggled to sit up.

"Take it easy baby girl; Rachel is going to be just fine. The doctors said she wasn't raped. We all got there in time."

The pain burst from Quinn in a sob that seemed to surprise her as much as her mother. Her face crumpled, and she struggled against the hand on her shoulder. Santana reached to comfort her, but the teenager pulled away. She turned on her side, with her back to her mother. Her pain was tangible. It made Santana feel even worse about her angry feelings towards her daughter.

Without thinking, Santana kicked off her shoes and climbed in the bed behind Quinn. She tried to cradle the girl to her chest, but Quinn fought her. The girl edged further away, getting as close to the bars on the other side of the hospital bed as she could.

Santana smiled, Brittany must have put the side rails up on the bed when she got out. She was always so protective and loving. Even in the midst of chaos and crisis.

"Don't touch me," Quinn rasped in a scratchy voice, "I don't deserve your comfort."

"Tough luck kid, I don't agree," Santana wiggled closer, putting her arm around her daughter's slender waist, "Everyone deserves a mothers love and comfort, unconditionally."

The brunette could feel the teenager shaking with the force of her silent tears.

"Let it out baby, we'll get through this. We survived, that's the hardest part. We'll get through this," She cooed to her distraught teenager.

She held Quinn as the girl eventually cried herself back to sleep. Her mother just lie there, lost in her jumbled painful thoughts.

_**-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana was still lying there, when Brittany came back into the room. An orderly was wheeling in a very pale, weak Rachel in a wheelchair.

Crystal blue eyes locked on dark chocolate brown eyes, and they could tell they were each locked in their own personal Hell. They didn't even need to speak to each other to communicate the guilt, pain, and personal recriminations they were living with.

The Latina raised an eyebrow in question towards Rachel.

"It's not broken, just a bad sprain. She has a very bad hangover from whatever he gave her though. She's pretty sick and confused this morning," Brittany said softly so only her wife could hear.

"Quinn woke up about an hour ago. She asked about Rachel, and when I told her she hadn't been raped, she completely fell apart. Her guilt is really tearing her up," Santana whispered to Brittany.

Standing on Quinn's side of the bed, Brittany reached over and raked her fingernails through the shaggy hair, "Guilt? What does she need to feel guilty about? She was the one actually raped."

The Latina got up from behind Quinn, and walked towards the hallway, "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Brittany reluctantly followed Santana out into the hallway. She didn't want to leave either of her daughters for a second, "What is it, San?"

Santana spun around and faced her wife, "Quinn has plenty to feel guilty about, Brittany. She kept this secret for an entire year. She let Rachel date Hudson, knowing what he was capable of!"

Anger flashed in Brittany's blue eyes, "Quinn didn't LET Rachel date him, you and I did that, against our own better judgment, I might add. We both had reservations about him, but we let Rachel date him anyway," She leaned closer to her wife, "I hope to Hell you didn't say that to our daughter!"

The Latina was stung, both by the anger directed at her, and the accusation, "Of course I didn't!"

Brittany turned to go back to Quinn, "Good! Don't, ever! I mean it!"

Santana grabbed her arm to stop her, "What is going on with you?"

The tall blonde scoffed, "Me? I'm not the one blaming our 16 year old for getting raped."

Big, brown eyes went wide in shock, "I am NOT blaming her for getting raped, for God's sake Brittany! You know me better than that! I'm not blaming her for anything. I'm upset she kept this big of a secret from us for such a long time. If we had known about him, Rachel wouldn't have been with him at all yesterday."

"Wow, that sure sounds like blame to me," Brittany scoffed angrily, "What's really going on here Santana? Is it because Rachel is your flesh and blood? Is that why you are treating Quinn differently right now?"

Santana staggered back, like she had been struck a physical blow, "I can't believe you said that to me. I have never treated Quinn anything other than what she is, my daughter, and my baby girl! How could you say such a thing to me?" Tears stung her eyes, and threatened to fall.

Brittany blinked quickly, her anger dissolving at seeing Santana's pain-filled eyes, "San, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," she reached for her wife's hand, but Santana pulled it away, "I'm so angry and frustrated about what happened to Quinn and Rachel. I'm angry at myself, I feel guilty for not pushing Quinn more about the changes she made. I don't know what to do, or how to act. I should never have said that to you, please babe, I'm so sorry."

The Latina leaned against the cold, tile wall and crossed her arms in a defensive stance. She was biting her bottom lip to keep her emotions in check.

The two women stood there; hurt, frustrated, and angry at the world.

The blonde moved forward slowly, moving to take the brunette in her arms. Santana put a hand on her chest to hold her at arm's length, "Don't B," she said regretfully, "Not yet."

Now Brittany bit her bottom lip, but nodded understandingly and moved back a bit, "I know Quinn seems very tough. In many ways she is, but in many ways she so very fragile. You know her, San. If she already is feeling all this guilt, she will pick up on your disapproval, and it will shatter her. I want our daughter back; whole, emotionally healthy. She is going to need both of us. You cannot let her see that you blame her in any way for this. I don't think she would survive it. She adores you."

Santana enunciated slowly, "I Don't Blame Her For Anything," The Latina was trying not to shatter herself, "I'm angry, and I don't know what to do with it," She finished sadly, feeling alone and lost.

She pushed off the wall, with her foot, "I'm going to go and get us some proper food, and coffee. The stuff in the lounge is awful."

Brittany called out, "San, are we ok?"

The Latina stopped, and looked back at her wife. The tall blonde looked heartbroken, and it squeezed her heart, painfully, "I'm sorry, B. Not yet," She watched the beautiful face fall in disappointment and sadness, "We will be, I'm sorry, I just need some time."

She watched as hope filled those beautiful, sky blue eyes. Santana longed to let herself get lost in them. She forced herself towards the elevator. When she was hurt, or upset, she lashed out. None of them could handle the fallout from that. Santana's first job, her most important job, was to be there for her family. Right now, that meant taking a walk and calming down.

Brittany watched her walk away until she disappeared around the corner. She turned to walk back in the room. She didn't notice Quinn quickly shut her eyes, and pretend to still be asleep.

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to be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

**_Chapter 12_**

Rachel and Quinn were released from the hospital, and allowed to go home. Officer Christine, of the sexual assault division, had offered to take Quinn's statement in the privacy and comfort of her own home. It was agreed by the adults, the girls could have a week at home to recover, before being interviewed again. Quinn had given an initial statement, enough to keep Finn Hudson in jail, but they needed more details now. The case looked like it was definitely going to trial.

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After hearing the argument between her mothers' at the hospital, Quinn had padlocked her feelings, and closed off her heart. She withdrew into herself; the pain of her mother's doubts was too great to face alone. And she was all alone, that was clear. This was not even something she could share with Mack or Puck, because her mother was right. She had endangered her sister's life by keeping her rape a secret. It seemed so black and white now. It didn't at the time. Seeing Rachel's naked, battered body in the hotel had shown her how wrong she had been to ever believe she could protect the girl from Finn Hudson. She didn't deserve her mothers' love or compassion. Hell, she didn't even deserve to still be part of this family. Rachel was the victim; she was just a selfish whore.

Quinn's nights were spent reliving her rape. Sometimes, it was her raping Rachel while Finn watched. Those were the worst nights. She woke up screaming into her pillow. It had been less than a week since Homecoming, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Last night, the night before her interview with the sex crimes detective, Quinn didn't sleep at all. Every time she closed her eyes, she entered a nightmare world of abuse. There was no escape during the day; there was no escape at night. Quinn was turning into a hollow shell of her former self. She would have given anything to have Rachel's escape. The date rape drug had erased her memories of that night. It seemed like an awful thing to wish for, but Quinn would love the escape of oblivion. It sounded so peaceful right now.

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Rachel was curled up in her bed, in the fetal position. She hugged her arms tightly around her body and cried. The young cheerleader was disgusted with herself. Quinn had warned her, her mom had warned her, Mack had warned her, Puck had warned her, even her gentle, blonde mama who loved everyone, had not liked Finn. Everyone was right; she was a selfish, horrible person. Rachel realized she had been insecure, and afraid to be without a boyfriend. She wanted to be popular. What kind of person behaves like that?

She had allowed her boyfriend to slushy her own sister, the boy who had raped Quinn. She had mocked her sister for her Goth appearance. Instead of trying to find out why she had changed, she had made Quinn's life miserable. She had helped her sister's abuser, violate her again and again. The whole time, Quinn was trying to protect her. It broke her heart. She had never deserved Quinn's love and protection.

Rachel sat up, walked to the bathroom, and washed her face. She stared at herself in the mirror, hard. She didn't like what she saw. This time, she was going to be the good sister. This time, she was going to save Quinn. She knew how lucky she was that she had escaped being raped. Rachel understood what a gift it was to have no memory of that night at the hotel. Quinn had to live with her memories. She had listened to Rachel being hurt that night on the cell phone, and she could see it was killing her older sister. Rachel was going to make Finn Hudson pay for hurting her sister, no matter what the cost to her personally. It was time to grow up. Quinn had saved her from a fate worse than death. She had sacrificed herself, to save her baby sister.

Rachel Lopez-Pierce took an unsteady breath, blew her nose, and washed her hands. She walked back into her bedroom, looking sorrowfully at Quinn's closed bedroom door. Rachel stopped in front of it, and put her hand tenderly on the door. Rachel's hand was shaking from the intensity of her love for Quinn. She made a silent vow to save her sister. Quinn didn't know it, but she had a new protector. Rachel went to her room quietly. She sat at her desk. Opening her computer, she started to research rape prosecutions. It was up to her to save Quinn this time, not the other way around.

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Santana sat at her desk, staring at the lunch Brittany had packed. She had no appetite. She was filled with an icy rage. She wanted that piece of shit Hudson dead. As an attorney, a prosecutor, she fought for justice. She had counseled families, victims of crimes to let the courts handle things. What a fucking joke, what a condescending asshole she had been. "Let the courts handle it?" She had watched time and again, as some violent offender walked with a slap on the wrist. She watched drunk drivers cause bodily harm, and go to rehab. She watched robbers get probation, while their victims lost the ability to feel safe in their own homes. What was the court going to do to Hudson? Whatever it was, it wasn't enough. She wanted blood.

She had turned her anger, rage, and helplessness on Quinn. What kind of mother does that? A worthless piece of shit, that kind of mother did what she did. Brittany had every right to be angry with her. She didn't deserve the family she had. Brittany was wrong though about one thing. She never favored Rachel. Santana had given her heart to Quinn the first time she heard her heartbeat, the first time she saw her on the ultrasound, the first time their eyes met. It was hard though, knowing she had failed her first-born so completely.

It was hard to explain to her wife. The woman had been her savior more times than she could count. How did she tell the sweetest, most innocent, kindest person on the planet that she fantasized daily about murdering Finn Hudson? How could she tell her that every time she looked at her daughters', the urge got stronger? This was Brittany, the woman who stopped her car to help frogs cross the street, for fuck's sake. She'd never understand. The blonde knew her wife had violent tendencies, but Santana knew Brittany could never understand the impulse. They didn't exist in her world of unicorns, kittens, and rainbows. Now, because Santana, the most respected prosecutor in Allen County, Ohio had allowed a rapist in their midst. She was worthless; as a lawyer, a wife, and most especially as a mother.

Santana knew that Brittany had seen her at her worse. She had always forgiven her, she had always supported her. This time, she wanted an 18 year old dead, and it went against everything she believed about herself. She couldn't put that kind of worry or burden on her wife. She'd handle this herself.

Santana heard her phone beep, alerting her of a text. She looked down and saw it was from Brittany, reminding her of Quinn's interview, like she could forget her 16 year old daughter's appointment to discuss her rape with a sex crime detective.

She threw her phone against the glass brick wall of her office. Watching it shatter gave her no satisfaction at all.

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Brittany sat at her kitchen table, idly staring at the bird feeder hanging from the little tree outside the window. She didn't know how to fix this. The blonde had always been cherished and adored by her Latina wife. Violence had never been a part of her life. Santana had always protected her. Now both her daughters were the walking wounded, and her strong wife was turning into a workaholic. She had been shocked at her wife's anger towards Quinn. Hindsight being 20/20, she realized she'd handled it all wrong. Santana had shut down, and stopped sharing her feelings. Brittany wished for the 100th time, she could take her words back.

Everything was a mess. She was a straightforward woman of action. She knew Santana was the analyzer, not her. Brittany had a deep abiding love for her family. She would trust that now that the truth was out, love was answer. Giving up was not in her makeup. Brittany vowed to find a way to fix this mess. Her family would be happy and whole again.

They just had to get through Quinn's interview today. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she sent a quick text to Santana reminding her of the time. She knew Santana was avoiding being home, but she made it clear her presence at this interview was mandatory.

Closing her eyes sadly, she threw off a quick prayer to whatever deity was listening. She needed help saving her family. For the first time in her life, Brittany Lopez-Pierce was clueless how to help her family. She had always relied on her maternal instincts. This time, they had failed her. More honestly, she had failed her family. She knew something was wrong with Quinn, she didn't push hard enough. She finished her prayer, hoping it wouldn't go unanswered.

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Mack was bringing both teens assignments from school, and giving them to Brittany daily. She could see the family was falling apart. Mack didn't know if they noticed what was happening. They all seemed so guarded, like they were wrapping up their individual pain in armor, and holding it so tight. All they were doing was losing the best thing they had going; a real family that always had hung together. Now, they were acting like four strangers sharing a house. Mack would give her right arm for parents like Santana and Brittany. They were her family too, maybe only by proxy, but she'd be fucking damned if she was going to watch them all implode. She had to be careful though, she couldn't bear it if they wound up hating her. She loved them all, well maybe not Rachel as much as the others, but she did feel sorry for the selfish little diva as well. No one deserved what happened to her.

She knocked softly on the kitchen door of the pretty, little, suburban home. It used to be a haven of peace, happiness, and laughter. Now it was filled with pain and sadness.

Brittany opened the door, and smiled gently at Mack, "Come in Lauren, I was just making some tea." The blonde looked miserable. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. Those big, baby-blue eyes; sparkling with innocence, hope, and love was what Mack loved most about Brittany Lopez-Pierce. They used to notice everything, now they seemed dull and lifeless.

"I wanted to thank you for hanging with Puck and me in the waiting room at the hospital. I would have lost it totally, if you would have made me leave without knowing Q and Rachel were ok," Mack said carefully.

The tall blonde mother-figure turned and looked at the teenager in surprise, "Why would I have turned you away, Lauren?"

"I just figured it was a very private, family thing going on. You might have just thought Puck and I were in the way," the girl mumbled in embarrassment, "like, maybe we didn't belong there," she finished vulnerably.

Brittany felt a sudden stab of pain. No one seemed to want these kids. She couldn't understand it, they were such incredible kids. Sure they were a little on the wild side, but they had no one to hold them accountable. The blonde squared her shoulders; she decided to play a more active role with both Lauren and Noah. Taking the brunette's hand, she sat her down at the kitchen table.

"Well, that's nonsense. How could you and Noah be in the way? You are both part of this private, little family," She went and poured the boiling tea into two mugs. Brittany joined Lauren at the kitchen table, "How are you handling all this? I was very serious when I said no violent retaliation," Her blue eyes narrowed sternly.

Mack swallowed, "I haven't done anything, I swear," she kicked herself for sounding so young, but both Brittany and Santana made her feel like she was a naughty six-year old sometimes.

The blonde pushed both honey and sugar towards Mack, and nodded towards her steaming tea, "How about school? No more ditching classes?"

Mack fidgeted in her seat, guilty as charged.

"Lauren Noel," Mack's eyes shot up in shock, she didn't know Brittany knew her humiliating, girly middle name, "I have half a mind to turn you over my knee!" Brittany watched the girl turn pink, then red, then a violent purple, "I'm sorry your Mom is not around, frankly it's her loss. Your dad has a disease, and that is not your fault either! You cannot allow them to stop you from succeeding. You are smart, beautiful, and you have such potential. I am not just going to sit here and watch you destroy your life. That means you better start walking the straight and narrow, little girl. If this experience has taught me anything, it's to not assume everyone is alright. I should have pushed Quinn harder, when I saw her struggling. I didn't follow my instincts," She looked at Mack firmly, "Well that stops now! I love you, and I am well aware that I am overstepping my boundaries with you, Lauren. Since your mom and dad have abdicated their responsibilities, I'm going to keep my eye on both you and Noah! I mean it! Straighten up, or I just might take you in hand, literally. Understand? I don't make idle threats!"

Big, brown eyes opened wide at the threat, and nodded seriously, "Yes, ma'am," she stuttered, "may I go say hi to Quinn, please?"

Brittany bit her bottom lip, to prevent herself from grinning at the shocked teen in front of her, "Yes, you're excused. Do not let me hear of you skipping again, you won't like the results," the blonde waited until Lauren dashed up the stairs, before smiling. She sipped her hot tea carefully, "Ok, well that was one teenager in hand, now she only had her two and Noah left," she suddenly didn't feel so helpless anymore. Unaware of just how wrong she was.

Mack rapped on Quinn's door, "Hey Q, it's me! Can I come in?"

"It's open," Quinn called out.

"Dude your mother has totally lost her marbles," Mack said on entering. Still not sure if she should take Brittany's threats seriously.

"Which one," Quinn said in a disinterested voice, "they're both acting crazy since last Friday."

Mack took in her best friend's appearance. Her heart sank, she looked worse than she did right after the rape last year, "Hey, what's going on Q? Let me help?"

Quinn swallowed roughly, at the soft kindness in Mack's voice. Puck had told her about Finn cornering Mack in the park. She finally understood that people around her got hurt, first Rachel, then Mack. Her own mother blamed her. It was time to handle her shit on her own, "Nothing's going on. Did you come over for something or just to annoy me?" Hazel eyes shot daggers at her best friend.

Mack actually stepped back. She had seen the HBIC look used on others, but Q had never looked at her that way, "I brought your classwork, yours and Rachel's." She said quietly, unsure how to proceed, or what was going on.

"When did you turn into such a kiss-ass? When did you start giving a shit about schoolwork?" Quinn turned her back on her best friend disdainfully. She couldn't bear to see the pain her words were causing.

The brunette stared hard at her friend, "What the fuck is your problem?" She was hurt, and she snapped.

Quinn felt dead inside, "Seriously? What the fuck is my problem? Just get out, you bore me! Don't bother coming back, I don't want you around."

Mack bit her lip to stop tears from flowing. Quinn just ended their friendship, with no more emotion than she used to order a pizza. The brunette nodded crisply, and ran out of the room. She didn't stop running until she got to the park. There, alone, she could give in to her hurt, and cry. She totally forgot her mission to save the family she loved. It never occurred to her that Quinn loved her, and was trying to protect her.

Quinn watched her best friend run out of her room. She ran her fingers roughly through her spikey, pink hair, and pulled hard. It was hard, but it had to be done. Mack was better off without all the drama and extra baggage in her life. The teen tried to feel pain, but honestly, she felt nothing. She wished she could just feel something, but all she felt anymore was anger. It was all directed at herself, and her own stupidity.

She walked into the bathroom, and punched the wood door, hard. Quinn wanted to hit harder, but she was afraid of putting a hole in the wall. Her mother would have her ass if she did that. The guilt inside her was pushing her, she needed to feel something. Her interview with the blonde sex crimes officer was today. She couldn't do anything to herself that left marks. Her mothers' would notice. Quinn felt like she had volcano inside of herself, but she didn't know how to diffuse the red, hot lava from boiling over. Rage was all she could deal with. She just wanted to die, but she didn't have the guts to do that either.

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to be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

_**Warnings for mature themes - language, sexual situations, spanking of teens, rape, self harm**_

_**Be aware of trigger warning throughout the entire story**_

_**Don't own Glee**_

**_Chapter 13_**

Santana arrived home at the same time Officer Christine, and the sex crime detective was pulling into her driveway. She felt the rage burning inside her again. The Latina had just gotten it under control, and now it was back. She prayed for the strength to get through this interview.

She parked, and got out of her car. Acknowledging the two police officers with a grim nod, she led them into the house. Brittany must have seen them coming, she was already at the door waiting. Clearly nervous, she was wringing her hands. Santana felt like the world's worst wife. Leaning into the blonde, she kissed her reassuringly on her soft lips, and rubbed her hand up and down her arm soothingly. The look of surprise in the crystal blue eyes, confirmed to Santana how distant she had been towards everyone lately. She needed to try harder. This was not just her pain.

Santana looked at her wife and mouthed, "I'm sorry, baby." She was rewarded with a blinding smile, and a loving nod. Brittany still loved her. The knowledge took her breath away, like it did every morning she woke up next to the love of her life. Brittany forgave her. It amazed the brunette, as it did every time she fucked up. As always, she longed for her wife's capacity to love and forgive others. It came natural to Brittany; it was a daily struggle for the Latina. Her wife and children made her a better woman. She was going to have to find a way past the rage, and rise to the occasion.

Brittany looked over her wife's shoulder, and noticed Quinn standing unobtrusively in the corner. The blonde was shocked at her daughter's appearance. She seemed to have deflated, like a week-old helium balloon. Her eldest daughter was someone you always noticed in a room, she sparkled. Whenever Quinn entered a room, all eyes turned to look at her. The teenager standing alone and unnoticed seemed like a different person altogether. Tears prickled Brittany's eyes immediately, and she found it hard to swallow. She had missed another important clue. Being a mother used to seem so natural, so easy. The rules of the game had changed, and Brittany didn't have the playbook. She felt helpless.

She smiled at Quinn, and beckoned her over, "Hey sweetheart, I didn't see you come downstairs."

Quinn cringed when everyone turned and stared at her. It was what she was trying to avoid, attention. She felt naked with everyone looking at her. They all knew what had happened. Her face burned red with guilt and shame.

Santana noticed and took her hand. Quinn snatched her hand away, like her mother's touch burned her. Brittany raised an eyebrow in question, and her wife just shrugged. She was as puzzled by her daughter's reaction as her wife was. Santana assumed it was a reaction to being touched by anyone. She filed it away in the back of her mind, just another of the many things to check with her daughter about.

The blonde officer stepped forward, "Ok, everyone this is Detective Natalie Turner. She is going to be taking Quinn's official statement," She turned to the short, intense looking brunette detective, "Natalie, this is Santana and Brittany Lopez-Pierce and their oldest daughter, Quinn."

The detective nodded professionally at everyone and turned to Quinn, "Miss Lopez-Pierce, do you need anything before we begin," her voice was silky smooth, and soft.

Quinn felt her hackles rising, "My name is Quinn, and you don't need to be condescending. I'm fine, let's do this already," she finished in a bitchy tone.

"Quinn!" Brittany scolded gently.

"No, it's alright," the detective interceded before Quinn could snap at her mother, "Quinn, I apologize. I wasn't trying to be condescending. Everyone reacts differently to sexual assault. Some people need to be coddled or handled. I misjudged you, and I'm sorry," she was direct and honest.

The teenager looked at her with renewed respect, she was sick of being treated like a piece of delicate crystal, "Thank you, and I apologize for being rude."

The two women sized each other up for another minute, before Santana took control. She was a prominent prosecuting attorney, and used to running interview, "We have a den that would be appropriate, this way please," She started to lead the women to the family room.

Quinn stopped everyone dead in their tracks, "I want mama in the room with me."

Santana and Brittany stared at her. Dark, nearly black eyes were shrouded in pain, while sky blue eyes appeared puzzled and confused. Brittany recovered first, "Sweetheart, both your mom and I will be with you."

"No. I only want you in the room with me," She whispered adamantly, refusing to meet her wounded mother's gaze.

The detectives glanced meaningfully at each other.

Santana tried this time, "Baby girl…."

Officer Christine added, "It might be helpful, Quinn. Your mom, being a prosecuting attorney is familiar with the questions that need answered."

This time Quinn turned to face the detective, "Don't I get a say in all this?" She was feeling bitter and vengeful, and more than a little anxious about her Latina mother's reaction to the story she was about to tell.

The brunette detective looked hard at the young girl, "Of course you do. I wouldn't dream of taking your control away in this situation. Tell me what you need."

"You know what, never mind, it's fine," She walked into the den, "Why don't we just invite the whole fucking neighborhood," It was said under her breath, but everyone heard anyway.

Santana felt like she had been slapped. Brittany took her hand, and led her into the den. Quinn was already seated in the arm chair; she didn't want anyone hovering next to her. Her mothers' sat in the love seat next to the chair. Officer Christine sat down on the couch, but Detective Turner spoke before sitting, "Quinn, may I speak to you privately?"

Quinn looked questioningly at her mothers', while Santana looked at Christine Rhodes. She looked surprised as well. The Latina shrugged her consent, and Quinn walked over to the corner of the room with the brunette detective.

"Quinn," She started quietly, "Is there a reason you didn't want your mother in the room during the interview?" Her eyes narrowed at the teenager, "Are you safe here?"

Quinn was shocked into silence for a long moment, and then she lost her temper; the temper so reminiscent of her mother, "Are you kidding me with this shit? Did you seriously just ask me that? You have the abuser in jail!"

Santana jumped over and walked to her daughter's side, "What's going on? Are you all right, baby girl?"

"No, I'm not alright. She asked me if you were abusing me," She turned to the sullen detective, "That is what you were implying, isn't it?"

"What?!" Santana and Brittany burst out at the exact same time.

The tall blonde wrapped her arms tightly around her wife, to prevent her from hitting the shorter woman.

Santana was waving her arm around, and pointing her finger in the detective's face, "You need to get up out of my fucking house. How dare you come in here and accuse me of something like that?"

"You need to calm down, Mrs. Lopez-Pierce. Your daughter didn't want you in this room during the interview. It was a valid question."

Everyone was yelling and screaming over the top of everyone else. It had gotten very quickly out of hand.

A loud shrill noise ripped through the room. Everyone stuck their hands over their ears. Officer Rhodes had her police whistle in her mouth. Once she had everyone's attention, she spoke calmly, "Santana, I know this is a really hard time for your family, but Detective Turner doesn't know you very well yet," She turned to Quinn, "I am so sorry we upset you like this today. Maybe if you clear up why you didn't want your mom in the room during the interview, we can put this to rest."

"I, well, I mean, "Quinn flushed a deep red, casting little side glances at her mothers, "I was just really embarrassed, and I thought it was easier if mama heard first," She finally met Santana's eyes, her own filling with tears of shame, "I didn't want you to know how bad I was that day," Her eyes went immediately to her mother's feet.

Santana forget everyone else in the room, and pulled Quinn into her strong arms, "Oh baby, you are not bad. I love you so much, mi Corazon. Nothing and I mean nothing, could ever change that. You are my first-born, one of the three loves of my life. I will never think less of you, or stop loving you. I swear that on my abuela's grave."

Quinn wasn't sure what to believe, after the hospital. She was so confused, but it felt good to hear the words from her mom. She hugged Santana back, as the older woman kissed her on the cheek. She took Quinn's hand and led her back to the arm chair.

Office Rhodes looked at the detective, and raised her eyebrows. The detective gave a curt little nod. She was satisfied. The girl was not being abused by her mother.

Everyone was seated, but the air in the room was still uncomfortable. Brittany spoke up, "Maybe we should postpone this. Try again tomorrow?"

Quinn shocked everyone, "No, I don't want to wait. I'm fine now. I just want to get this over with. I overreacted, I'm sorry," She directed her answer to Detective Turner, "I won't do it again, can we just please get this over with?" her hazel eyes were hooded with pain.

"Of course, I'm sorry as well. I really could have handled that better," She looked directly at Santana, "I know everyone's emotions are all over the place. My only intention is to help your daughter, and keep her safe."

Santana nodded brusquely, she was still pissed off. Brittany took her hand, and smiled softly at her wife.

"Quinn, I need to let you know that I have to record your statements," She pulled a recorder out of her briefcase, and set it on the coffee table, "Are you ok with that?"

The teenager nodded. The detective smiled for the first time, "I actually need you to say it loud when I turn on the recorder."

That single moment, eased the tension in the room.

Detective Turner pushed the button on the recorder; she made some opening comments about her credentials, and who was present in the room, "Please state your full name," She directed at Quinn.

"My name is Quinn Cordelia Lopez-Pierce," Her voice wavered a bit; she hated her own weakness, "I give you permission to tape the interview."

"Thank you, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, just the basics."

Quinn squirmed, pulling her feet up on the chair. She felt less exposed like that. Wrapping her arms around her waist she started to talk, "Well, I'm 16 years old, I attend McKinley High School. I'm seven months older than my sister, Rachel. We are both sophomores."

The blonde officer smiled encouragingly, "Exactly what we were looking for, thanks Quinn."

"Ok, when did this incident take place?"

Quinn cleared her throat, "It was near the beginning of freshman year. I was a cheerleader, a Cheerio, Rachel and I both were. I was pretty popular. I guess I thought I was all that, ya know?" She shrugged facetiously.

The detective could see the teenager was calmer, so she continued, "I want you to tell us all about the incident. I'll ask questions as they come up. Ok?"

The teenager nodded, and closed her eyes as she started speaking, "My sister Rachel had a singing contest out of town. I convinced my mama to let me stay with my best friend at the time, Mercedes Jones and her family. I had heard about a party one of the football players was having at his house, and I figured this would be my only chance to go to a real high school party," Quinn heard her mama gasp. She kept her eyes focused on the recorder. She didn't want to see pain, anger, or betrayal on her mothers' faces.

"What do you mean by, your only chance?"

Quinn snorted out an ironic laugh, "My moms are super careful about knowing where we are at all times, who we are with, that kind of stuff. There are both really strict about it. I knew they would never let me attend a party when no parents were at home, and everyone was drinking," She looked at the detective, her lashes wet with unshed tears, "I was so resentful over what I thought were stupid rules, and overprotective parents. I didn't get it; I wish I still didn't get it."

The older detective nodded in agreement, "I know you do. Part of being a teenager is making mistakes. What happened to you was not your fault. It was not a mistake, it was a crime. You're doing fine, Quinn. So where was the party held? Did you know the person who held the party?"

"It was at Noah Puckerman's house. We weren't really friends at the time, but we knew each other. Mercedes was really crushing on Puck so she lied to her mom, and Mrs. Jones didn't call to make sure Puck's parents would be home to supervise. So we knew we could go and have a good time."

"Were you drinking?"

The girl bit her lip, she so didn't want to do this in front of her moms, "Yeah, I was drinking."

"Drugs?"

She shook her head, "I don't do drugs. So no, I didn't do any drugs that night."

"Did you make plans to meet Finn Hudson that night?"

"No, I knew he would be there. He'd been hard-core flirting with me for a while. I was the blonde cheerleader, he was the quarterback. I thought we were fated to be a couple. I was pretty stupid and naïve back then. I'm not anymore," She looked at the detective and swallowed the lump in her throat.

The detective had been asking all the questions, while everyone but Quinn remained silent. For a moment, Quinn forgot everyone else was there. Detective Turner continued, "I want to talk about the party now. Do you need a break first?" she asked kindly.

"No, I want to get this over with as quickly as I can."

"We can do that, so start when you got to the party. What happened?"

"Mercedes and I wanted to show up later than everyone. I was nervous; it was my first high school party. The house was filled with people. The music was really loud, and it was really hot in the living room with everyone crowded in there," She closed her eyes remembering how much fun she was having, "Some grabbed my coat, and handed me a drink. It was sweet. I liked it. The next thing I knew I was on the dance floor with the rest of the crowd," She looked at the detective, "I'm sorry, can I maybe grab a glass of water?"

Brittany jumped up, "I'll get it," She ran from the room, she was glad for the break. She was angry with herself. The blonde knew the night Quinn was talking about. It was the night her oldest daughter had called her in a panic. She didn't know if she could finish listening to the story, but she had to. She had to be strong for Quinn. Opening the stainless steel refrigerator door, she placed her forehead against it momentarily. Brittany let the coolness calm her jangled nerves. Knowing everyone was waiting for her, she grabbed an armful of cold bottles of water, and walked back to the den.

Quinn grabbed the water, cracked the cap and drank greedily. Her anxiety and nerves had totally turned her mouth and throat as dry as the desert.

The detective thanked Brittany, and drank some water with Quinn, in a show of solidarity.

"Thanks mama," Quinn spared her tall blonde mother a quick glance. She was so afraid of what she would see in her eyes. She knew her mama remembered that night. It hurt Quinn to know all the lies she had told her that night. The teenager was shocked to see an expression of love and warmth on her mama's face.

Brittany smiled and nodded at Quinn. She was trying to project comfort across the room to her baby. She wanted to get up and hold her, but knew Quinn was able to hold it together as long as she wasn't touched. She was so much like Santana that way.

The brunette detective leaned forward, and clicked on the tape recorder again.

Quinn took a deep breath, and continued, "Anyway, I danced for a long time. It was so hot I thought I would pass out. I went in the kitchen to get some water. I was staring out the kitchen window, when Finn came up behind me. He asked me to dance with him. So I did, I danced with him."

"Was he drinking?"

The teen bit her lip, as she thought carefully, "I honestly don't remember. He had a cup in his hand all the time, but he kept handing them to me," She grew visibly agitated, when she heard a sound come out of her Latina mother that sounded like a low growl.

Brittany rubbed a hand soothingly up and down Santana's arm, as she turned to her daughter, "It's alright sweetie. Your mom and I are fine, don't worry about us."

Quinn nodded and tried to smile but it came out a grimace.

"Why do you think he was handing you the cups?" The diminutive detective asked.

"I wasn't really paying attention at the time, but I think he was trying to get me drunk," She breathed in a raspy breath. This was getting harder, and she hadn't gotten to details yet, "He said it was too loud, we should go upstairs and talk. I went with him. I was actually flattered that the most popular guy in town wanted me."

"Quinn, this is important, did you go upstairs with the intention of having sex?" Detective Turner asked quietly.

"No, I mean I'm not stupid, I knew we were going to make out, but I didn't want to do that. You know, go that far, I mean," she finished feeling stupid.

"Had you ever had sex with anyone before that night?"

The teenager looked at her mothers', "No ma'am. I'd never even messed around before. I'd kissed a guy before at cheerleading camp, but it didn't go any further than kissing," She chuckled at the memory, "Honestly, he was more scared than I was. We both had braces, it was really pretty awful."

Santana laughed, Quinn had shared that with her when she came home from camp. Her laugh caught in her throat, wondering what had changed. Why Quinn had kept something this huge and life altering from her.

"Ok, so what happened when you got to the room, Quinn?"

"He turned on a little night light, then led me over to the bed. Oh, he locked the door. He walked over and sat next to me," She was visibly shaking. The teen started to rock a little in place on the chair.

Brittany suddenly stood up, startling everyone in the room. She held her hand out to her distraught daughter, "Come on, sweetie. Sit with us," It was not a request, but it was issued in her soft, steady voice. Quinn practically leapt into her tall, blonde mother's arms.

"I'm sorry, mama. It was all my fault, I'm so sorry," She sobbed into her mama's chest, clutching her shirt in both hands.

"Shhh baby, shhhh It's almost over," Brittany crooned, as she rocked her daughter in her arms. Santana had come to stand behind Quinn, and was rubbing her back gently.

Santana leaned into Quinn, hugging her from behind, "Guess what I just made," she said playfully. Brittany broke into a teary grin. Quinn made a noise, half between a laugh and a sob.

"That's right, I made a Quinn sandwich," they used to do that with her when she was a little girl, "Let's finish this up, baby girl."

The three sat down together, Quinn clinging tightly to both her mothers' hands. She looked at the detective, "I'm sorry, I don't usually cry this much."

"You don't have to apologize for anything you're feeling. You are doing a great job."

Quinn slowly continued her story, "We started out by kissing. Then we started to make out pretty heavily."

The detective noticed the girl blushing, "I'm sorry to ask, but can you give specifics as to what making out means to you?"

Quinn tried to talk but she just couldn't sit with her moms and say the words. She was so ashamed.

The detective looked at the girl, and knew she was very close to shutting down, "why don't I ask some questions now, ok?"

Quinn nodded her consent, then remembered she had to talk, "Yes, I can answer questions," she muttered, relieved at not having to volunteer information.

"Did you take your clothes off?"

"He took of mine, I took off his," She stated matter of factly.

"Did you have oral sex, by that I mean did Finn Hudson put his penis in your mouth or did he penetrate your vagina with his mouth or tongue?" She tried to keep it as professional as possible.

"Yes…." She started to shake. She felt her mothers' tighten their grip on her hands.

"Did Finn Hudson force you to have oral sex, by forcing you or threatening to harm you or anyone you know?"

"No, I did that part," she lowered her head and whispered to her mothers, "I'm sorry."

"Did Finn Hudson force you to have sex with him by forcing you or threatening to harm you or anyone you know? Just to be clear, by sex I mean putting a penis in your vagina."

All the Lopez-Pierce women cringed.

Quinn was feeling a panic attack coming, but she answered honestly, "Yes, he forced me. I begged him to stop. I said no. I pushed on his chest and fought. He was just too big and too strong. I was crying, but he told me to shut up. I didn't want to have sex. I didn't….."

Santana was rubbing her thigh, and Brittany was rubbing her back. Quinn dropped her face into her hands and sobbed quietly.

"Quinn, were you physically forced to have sex with Finn Hudson?"

"I was."

"Quinn, did you drink all that alcohol because you wanted to or because Finn Hudson was deliberately trying to get you drunk?"

"He was trying to get me drunk."

"Did he threaten you when it was over?"

"He said I was a cock tease, and a slut. He said no one would believe I didn't want it. He said all the cheerleaders were sluts because we were half dressed in front of large crowds every football game. He said I was a waste of a good buzz," she sobbed harder.

Santana asked gently, "Is that why you quit the Cheerios?"

"Yes, I couldn't stand everyone staring at me, especially him."

"What did you do afterwards, Quinn?" The blonde officer asked quietly.

"I wanted my moms' really bad," she placed her head on her mama's shoulder, and Brittany sobbed quietly, "First I threw up, then I walked home."

The Latina exclaimed, "But the Puckerman's live miles away."

"I couldn't bear to talk to anyone, I just wanted to come home," she sighed heavily, "I took three really hot showers, and I scrubbed until I was bleeding. Then I crawled under the covers, and called mama. I really needed to talk to them. I was too ashamed to tell them the truth. I really wanted to but I just couldn't."

"Did he use a condom, Quinn?"

"No, I was terrified I was pregnant. I wasn't, and my friend Mack took me to the clinic to get tested. I'm fine," She reassured her moms'.

"I want to thank you Quinn. I know this was really hard, but you did a great job," The detective stood up and gathered her belongings.

Officer Christine stood up as well, "Quinn, you said no. It should have stopped there. This is not your fault. No means no, when he forced you, it became rape. I have some brochures, and pamphlets. I want you to seriously consider talking to someone. I know you just want to bury this, but it will slowly eat away at you if you continue to bury it. You've held it in for a year. Let us help you, Quinn."

Brittany had enveloped her daughter in her steady arms, and Quinn was clutching onto her mother.

"I'll show you out," Santana stood up, and led the way out of the den. The female officers followed her solemnly out into the other room.

Natalie Turner looked at the grief stricken mother, "She's a very strong young woman. She has both of you. Get her into counseling as soon as possible."

The Latina nodded. She stood at the front door for a long time after they left. She was using the door to hold her upright. Her mouth had a sour acid taste in it, she was sure she was going to be sick. Now she understood why Quinn hadn't told anyone. If that had happened to her, even as a grown woman, she didn't think she would have the guts to tell anyone. She hated herself for being angry at Quinn at the hospital.

Walking back into the den, she walked over and held her daughter and wife as they cried. She was devastated. The three women clung to each and cried until all three were cried out. Brittany gently led Quinn upstairs to her room; Santana went to check on Rachel.

"Sweetie, do you want to sleep with your mom and me tonight?" Brittany asked gently. She felt so awful. That night in the hotel room, she knew it was more than a bad dream.

Quinn shook her head quickly, "I'm fine mama, really I am."

Santana came back, "If you need us, I don't care what time it is, just come wake us up."

The teenager nodded in agreement.

"I mean it Quinn, do you promise me?"

"I promise. I just want to say, I know that you both are probably so disappointed in me. I'm so sorry I lied to you guys about everything. I'm so sorry." The tears were coming unbidden again.

Brittany hugged her close again, "Hey, hey, hey ease up on yourself. We love you. We can talk about everything else later, but no more tonight. I couldn't be more proud of you tonight."

"She's right baby girl, I am amazed at how strong you are. I don't think I could have done what you did tonight." Santana added.

"I feel like I could sleep for a week," Quinn tried to laugh, but fell short, "I just need to get some sleep, I think."

She hugged and kissed both her moms', and headed to her room to collapse. It was awful, that whole night had come back to her. She could smell his cologne, and taste him in her mouth. It wasn't that she didn't believe her moms', but they had to be looking at her differently. She felt like a disgusting slut. Just like Finn had said she was. She stopped at the bathroom, and looked back at her moms', "I need another shower," she told them apologetically. Her mothers' nodded in understanding. Santana shuddered, she felt like she needed a shower.

Quinn walked into the bathroom, digging through the drawer until she found what she was looking for. It was a tiny razor blade. She felt like a volcano of emotions waiting to erupt. It was unbearable. The pain was unbearable. The guilt and shame were unbearable. Turning on the water, she got undressed and entered the shower. Sitting down, she hugged her knees to her chest as the hot water pounded her and cascaded down her back. It was all so overwhelming, she couldn't even cry anymore. Taking the blade she made a tentative cut on her inner thigh. As the dark red blood mixed with the hot water, Quinn felt a relief she hadn't felt in months. The point was she was able to feel something instead of guilt and remorse. The teenager watched the pink tinged water swirl down the drain, and it was the first moment of peace she'd had in a year.

Rachel was lying in bed. She had said goodnight to her mom. It was hard to stay upstairs alone, knowing what Quinn was going through downstairs. She just wanted to help. Her mama would come in shortly to say goodnight. Rachel wanted Quinn. So many things were running through her mind. She needed Quinn, but she was sure that Quinn hated her. She hated herself for how she had treated her sister. On the nightstand her cell phone dinged indicating a text had come in. Rachel was pretty popular, but only a few of her closest friends from Glee had texted her this week. She didn't really care. Picking up the phone, she didn't recognize the number. Opening the text, she was stunned to see a picture of her unconscious and naked on a bed. She had to look a few times to make sure it was really her. It was. It must have been that night. She didn't recognize the room.

A new text came in with a different, more stark and raw picture. This time it had a message attached.

_**Meet me Monday after school under the bleachers where the skanks meet or these pics go viral. Don't fuck with me Cheeri-hoe. I mean it.**_

Rachel was paralyzed with fear, but desperate enough not to want these pictures floating around high school. She texted back.

_**I'll be there.**_

She started to silently cry. Turning on her side, she hugged her pillow to her chest.

Across town, Azimio Adams closed his phone smirking. He was one lucky dude that Finn Hudson had texted him these pictures that night. Fucking Rachel Lopez-Pierce thought she was so much better than everyone else, always turning her nose down at him. He'd show her.

He laughed mercilessly, finished his beer and picked up the X-Box controller, "Come on motherfucker, are we playing this shit or what?" Yep, he had that bitch right where he wanted her.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**to be continued...**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**TRIGGER WARNINGS **_

_**Chapter 14 Your Love is My Love**_

Santana woke up for the fifth time in two hours. She leaned over and looked at her angelically sleeping wife. She was so glad that Brittany was able to sleep tonight. The blonde had been emotionally and physically exhausted. The police interview had been brutal, but she would be strong for her family. She had failed them enough for one lifetime. She got up again to go check on her daughters, also for the fifth time in two hours. The Latina threw on her robe, and headed first to check on Rachel. The dramatic diva was being way too quiet lately. That never ended well for anyone. In a way, Santana wished the girl would scream, yell, and get hysterical. She could handle anything but this detached, eerie calm. Rachel's parents had no idea how to handle that. She knew Brittany was freaked out by Rachel's lack of dramatics. It was kind of ironic considering how often both of them had told Rachel to knock off the dramatics over the years. Now Santana wished she could take it back, she'd never tell the girl that again.

The older brunette quietly walked into the diva's room. She fussed over her blankets, careful not to wake Rachel. The girl had always been a whirling dervish. She was perpetual motion, even in her sleep. That's why corner time was such an effective punishment for Rachel, standing still was torturous for her. Santana smiled as she tucked her legs back under the tangled sheets, some things never changed.

She walked over and grabbed Rachel's desk chair, pulling it close to the bed. Maybe if she kept watch over her sleeping daughter for a little while she would be able to sleep later. The full moon had cast enough silvery light in the room that Santana didn't need a night-light to see.

Looking around, she saw all the trappings of a typical teenage girl's bedroom. The cheerleading and gymnastic medals, her singing competition trophy's, posters on the wall, the corkboard with pictures of a smiling Rachel and her friends; all were signs of a simpler time, a more innocent life. It brought a lump to her throat, and tears to her eyes. Rachel looked so happy in all those pictures. Would her girls ever regain their lost innocence? Santana put her aching head in her hands, how did she not see Quinn's dramatic change as a call for help? She played the what-if game for the millionth time with herself, berating herself for not protecting her children better.

Thinking of Quinn, she restlessly wandered into her oldest daughter's room. While her sister was a study in vivacity, Quinn had turned inward and become more taciturn. She stared at the teenager, currently curled up in the fetal position. Santana was terrified for her oldest. The girl had always been hard to read, even as a child. Rachel wore her heart on her sleeve, but Quinn kept her emotions under lock and key. Everyone thought Quinn was so tough, but her mom knew how vulnerable she truly was. It was a trait they shared.

Deep in thought, she was startled when Brittany wrapped her arms around her slender waist, "I figured I'd find you in one of the girl's rooms," she whispered softly. The blonde lay her head down between her wife's shoulder blades and sighed, "Please come back to bed, babe. They are both safe now. You can't help them by worrying yourself sick." She lifted her head, and kissed that special spot behind Santana's ear.

Santana leaned back tiredly into her wife's comforting embrace and nodded her assent. She and B had work, and the girls were finally going back to school. That was a large part of the Latina's worry. Teenagers could be so cruel, and judgmental. Quinn and Rachel had enough to worry about now.

Brittany took the soft, warm hand of her exhausted wife in her own, and led her back to their bedroom. She tucked the Latina in tenderly. Crawling in bed behind her, she spooned her wife and kissed her on the shoulder, "I love you, Santana."

"I love you too, babe."

"You know I can't sleep when you're not in bed next to me," the tall blonde pouted.

"Oh really, then who was that snoring like a buzzsaw a half an hour ago?" The caramel skinned beauty teased playfully.

Brittany gasped in mock outrage, and pinched her wife's hip, "I do NOT snore."

Santana laughed, "Uh huh…" It felt good to tease, but she quickly came back to reality, feeling guilty for laughing while her daughters were suffering.

"What is it, sweetie?" Brittany asked, sensing the rapid change in her wife's mood.

The Latina turned in her wife's arms, so they were face to face, "I just feel so inadequate now. I can't protect my children, I can't fix this B," she bit back a sob.

"Oh babe, it was so easy when they were little. A kiss on the boo-boo with a pink Power Ranger Band-Aid for Quinn, a song and a Hello Kitty Band-Aid for Rach, and all was right in their world. There is no quick fix for this.

A soft sob escaped the strong woman as she finally let her guard down with the only person she felt safe being exposed in front of, "I thought we were doing everything right."

"Bad things happen to good people all the time, San." She held the shaking woman close in her embrace, understanding without being told the price she paid for being emotionally naked. Brittany was just happy that Santana was finally talking about her feelings again. The police interview must have pushed her over the edge.

The blonde leaned forward, and kissed her wife's face, her nose, her lips, and finally her eyes. She tasted her wife's salty tears, they tasted like heartbreak, "Santana, I wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you at the hospital. I just want you to know, I have never doubted you in any way."

Santana looked up in shock, "No, B. You were right, I was so wrong to be angry at Quinn for not telling us. After hearing her today describe what happened with that bastard, I was so wrong to have judged her. Looking back, I see now, she had tried to tell us for a year, in her own way. She made herself sick trying to protect Rachel. I forget sometimes that she is little more than a kid. I'm a grown woman, and I don't know if I could have talked about being raped. I'm so fucking proud of what she did today."

The tall blonde smiled, her eyes gleaming with pride, "I know, I'm really proud of them both. Quinn was just so amazing today," She snuggled closer to the Latina, "Baby? Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything B, just name it. You know I would do anything for you and the girls," Santana said earnestly.

"Tell Quinn what you just told me. How proud you are of her. How you aren't angry with her. That you don't blame her for what happened to Rachel," Tears were streaming down her face, which was twisted with grief, "She is so much like you. I know she blames herself. I can see the guilt is eating her alive, and I don't know how to help her. You've always related to her in ways I've never been able to," She was sobbing by the time she finished.

Santana put her arms around the distraught blonde, and pulled her as close as possible, "I'll talk to her tomorrow, I swear. We need to hang together to get through this, and we will. I don't run scared baby, I stick. It was in the vows; in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for better or for worse. Well, now we're dealing with a little of the worse. It will get better again."

Brittany had her head buried in her wife's chest, "Do you promise?" She sniffled.

"I'll do better than promise; I'll give you my solemn oath. Siempre y para siempre, mi amor. Always and forever."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck eyed a crazed Mack warily. She had shown up at his house at midnight, needing a place to stay. The girl hadn't said more than ten words since she had shown up. She hadn't offered any explanations; she was just there at his house. The girl had pounded down beers, as she played X-Box.

The mohawked boy felt it best to just stay quiet, and hang out with her. Eventually she'd calm down enough to talk about what was bothering her.

He was sitting on the loveseat, dozing off when she yelled loudly, and threw the controller against the wall.

"Fuck!"

"Mack, what the hell? Those are like $50 each," He yelled at her annoyed.

"I'm sorry dude, I'll replace it."

"What the fuck is your deal tonight? What are you even doing here?"

"My old man is on a bender. I knew your mom was on third shift. I thought it was cool to crash here," She stood up unsteadily, "If you don't want me here, I'll take off. It's no big deal."

Puck immediately felt guilty, "Shut the fuck up, asshole. You and Q are always welcome here, you know that."

She tried to smile, but hearing him talk about her and Quinn being his family tore a hole in her heart, a small sob broke loose. Puck was like every other teenage boy on the planet, crying girls made him very uncomfortable. Especially crying, teenage girls that he was fairly certain could kick his ass.

"Why don't you get some sleep? We got to get up for school in a few hours," He tossed a pillow at her.

"I'm done with school. It's a waste of my time, man," She was a bit drunk.

He actually laughed out loud at that, "Yeah sure, I can see Mrs. LP letting you walk away from school, either of them. If they don't have your ass, Q will."

She snorted bitterly, "Yeah, I don't really need to be concerned what the Lopez-Pierce family thinks of me anymore. Q told me I bored her. She threw me out, and told me not to ever come back."

Puck narrowed his eyes, he knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but that didn't sound like anything Quinn Lopez-Pierce would ever say to anyone, let alone Mack. He knew better to keep talking about it with the drunken brunette, but he was sure as hell going to talk about it with Quinn.

He tried again, "Look, I don't know what's going on in Q's head, ok? But, tomorrow is her and Rachel's first day back at school. They need us to watch their backs. I can't keep both of them safe. I was counting on you and the Skanks to hang with Q."

"Yeah, fuck Q," She said without venom.

"Alright, it's your call. I need to be there though," He said firmly.

He watched over Mack until she passed out. Then he picked her up, and carried her upstairs to the spare bedroom. He knew his mom would come home from work bone exhausted, and fall into her bed. She'd never even know Mack was in the other room. He'd wake her in the morning for school. She might be hurt, and pissed tonight, but she'd never let Q face going back to school alone. He knew it, and she knew it.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel woke up alert and anxious. She wasn't sure if she was ready to go back to school, and face her peers. The idea of being stared at by everyone made her very nervous, but the idea of being judged and talked about was even scarier. Now she had the added anxiety of those pictures, and meeting with her anonymous texter to worry about.

She took a shower, and put on her cheerleading uniform. She put her thick, auburn hair up into a tight ponytail and headed down to breakfast. It was time to put on her best show face.

Her mom, Santana was already sitting at the breakfast table sipping coffee, so was her sister. Quinn looked pale, anxious, and as tightly wound as Rachel felt. She was nervously tapping a spoon on the kitchen table. Her mom calmly reached over and stilled her hand. Quinn looked up in surprise, and met her mother's eyes. Santana just smiled gently, "Everything is fine, Quinn. No need to be nervous, sweetie."

Rachel came and sat down next to her sister, she scooted the chair as close as she could without being obnoxious. Quinn looked over in surprise, but let it go. Rachel seemed to need to be close. It just made Quinn feel more guilty than she did already.

"Good morning, baby girl," Santana said, "Did you sleep well?"

Rachel looked at her mother, then over at Quinn, then back at her mother. Had everyone lost their minds? They were acting like the Stepford family, like nothing had happened, "Uh, yeah, I guess I slept ok."

"Good."

Rachel looked around the kitchen, "Where's mama?"

Santana answered quickly, "She was up late last night. I turned off the alarm, and let her sleep. I'm going to drive you guys to school this morning."

"Is she ok?" Quinn asked quickly, rapidly getting weirded out by how everyone was acting this morning.

"I kept her awake talking, actually. It wasn't anything you did, sweetie," Santana quickly reassured her oldest daughter.

Everyone sat around the table, clearly uncomfortable. It lasted for about three full minutes of dead silence, when Rachel who never could sit still, spoke up.

Rachel looked around, "so if Mama is still sleeping, what are we going to eat?"

The Latina looked around the empty kitchen. The table was empty, there was no food anywhere in sight, "Shit, I mean shoot. I didn't think of that, I'm so used to your mama making breakfast." She looked so crestfallen that Quinn and Rachel both started laughing. Their mood lifted immediately as Santana started to laugh as well.

"Guys, I am so sorry. I was trying to make today seem as normal as possible for you, and honestly? I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Why don't we just grab something on the way to school? It was really nerve-wracking sitting here trying to act normal, whatever that is."

Rachel nodded her agreement with what her sister said, "I know I for one could really use a nice, hot cup of Starbucks for a pick me up this morning."

Santana leaned forward, "Me too, just don't tell your mama I fed you guys McDonald's and Starbucks this morning."

Quinn stood up quickly, "Deal! Let's get out of here."

For just that morning, they laughed and felt normal, and everyone was grateful for even the slightest bit of normalcy.

Santana pulled into the school parking lot, and parked the car. Rachel grabbed her bag, kissed her mother and turned to her sister, "You coming?"

The Latina kissed Rachel back, and ran her fingers through her hair, "I need to talk to Quinn, baby girl."

Quinn looked up shocked; she didn't want to talk now. All three women were startled when Puck rapped on the window.

"Hey guys, I thought I'd walk Rachel to class this morning. I mean, if that is alright with you, Jew-babe?" he smiled widely when the younger girl rolled her eyes and started berating him. He put his arm around her shoulders companionably, and turned and winked at Santana.

She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Noah Puckerman would be keeping an eye out for her girls today.

Quinn watched them walking into the school, a shadow of a smile gracing her face as she watched Rachel clearly carrying on, her arms waving and Puck just nodding in pleasant agreement. She couldn't believe how good it felt seeing a few things had not changed, and never would.

She saw Mack, and the rest of the Skanks hanging out by the edge of the parking lot. They were pretending not to watch her, but it was clear they were waiting to act as her bodyguards in much the same way Puck was protecting Rachel. She couldn't believe Mack was still there for her after how awful she had been to her friend. Quinn felt bad that she had seriously underestimated the girl. A painful lump formed in her throat. It seemed all she did anymore was cry.

She turned away from the window quickly, wiping tears from her eyes. It was touching, the love and loyalty she felt from Mack and the Skanks. Corralling her emotions, she turned to her mother, "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

The Latina looked clearly uncomfortable, "In the hospital, I was angry with you."

Quinn tried to interrupt her mother, her guilt started to overflow. Here it was, the moment she had anticipated for a year, the moment her mother disowned her.

Santana put a calming hand on Quinn's forearm, "Hear me out, ok baby? I thought I was angry with you, for keeping all this secret. I was wrong to be angry with you, and I wanted to apologize. After hearing you give your statement yesterday, I am amazed at what an incredibly strong young woman you truly are. I let you down. It won't happen again. Aside from your mama, you are the strongest, bravest woman I have ever met, and I am so fucking proud of you." She finished with a fierce whisper.

Quinn sat there stunned. That was not at all what she had expected to hear, "No, I'm not. I should have told you and mama. I'm to blame for what happened to Rachel."

"Finn Hudson is responsible for what happened to Rachel, not you."

"But…" Quinn tried again, she wasn't worthy of her mom's pride and respect.

"No, Quinn. I won't allow you to accept the responsibility for any of this more. Besides, you tried to tell us in your own way, and it was me who dropped the ball, not you. I kept blowing off all the changes you were going through, all the rebellion as a phase. I should have known better. I am sorry I doubted you. We have a long road ahead of us, but your mama and I will never leave you or Rachel's side. I need something from you though."

"What is it?"

"No more secrets. I mean it. We have to do this together. I don't blame you for not talking about the rape. I can't believe the courage you showed yesterday. I won't survive this, if I don't know that you and Rachel are safe," She looked out her window for a moment, pulling herself to together, "Look, Q.. I know you're a teenager, and I'm kind of asking the impossible expecting you to talk about everything with your parents. But, we have to try. You and your mama and Rachel are my whole life. I can't live without you guys. So please no more big secrets. I don't think my heart can take any more big shocks."

Quinn just nodded, she was stunned. Santana wasn't finished yet.

"I hope you can forgive me for doubting you. I love you so much. I have from the moment I first laid eyes on you, hell even before. I gave my heart to you the second we found out your mama was pregnant. You are my first-born, one of the loves of my life, mi Corazon. It has never even occurred to me that we don't share DNA, not once in your whole life, because you are my child, and I would die for you. "

The teen was shocked beyond words; her and her mom didn't do the sensitive chats. It was amazing though, and Quinn was shocked that she had actually needed to hear the words, "I love you too, mommy. I always have, and I always will. Thank you for telling me. I felt like what happened to Rachel was all my fault…." She shook her head; she didn't know how to do this.

Santana saw her daughter was close to a meltdown, "Hey, I didn't mean to upset you right before your first day back at school. I just needed you to know how proud I am of you, and how much I love you. We have our whole lives to talk. So, hold your head up, and be proud of who you are! You're a Lopez-Pierce and you have nothing to be ashamed of." She leaned forward, and kissed her daughter gently. She ran her fingers through the spiky pink hair, "Can we possibly lose the hair now?"

Quinn snorted, "Sorry mommy, I actually love my clothes and my hair like this. I am willing to compromise on the black eyeliner and the black fingernail polish though," she teased.

Santana rolled her eyes, "Go on, be good today. I love you, mija."

"I love you, mommy."

The two women shared a gentle look, before Quinn got out of her mom's car. She walked towards the school, not shocked in the slightest when the Skanks formed up with her. She avoided looking at Mack, and the brunette didn't speak to her either, but she was not about to let Quinn walk into McKinley alone. Quinn was actually relieved Mack had shown up, she hadn't expected it.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck had stuck by Rachel like glue. She was surprised that she hadn't been slushied to death by lunchtime, but Puck explained everything to her. Coach Bieste had called a meeting. She said while everyone was innocent until proven guilty, this case would be tried in a courtroom and not the hallways of McKinley High. She ordered no retaliation against the Lopez-Pierce girls. She said if she heard of anyone violating her rules, they were banned from playing any sports at McKinley High.

Puck said it was the first time anyone at the school had taken a firm stand against bullying. Rachel was eternally grateful to Coach Bieste. She wasn't surprised by Puck's support, but she was by Coach Bieste, Coach Sylvester, and most of the Glee Club. Everytime she turned around, someone was walking with her or standing by her side. She had a feeling Puck had coördinated this protective detail for her. It warmed her heart, especially when she saw some of the looks she got during the day. Some people were downright hostile, some just curious, but everyone was staring. It was hard to ignore, but she tried.

Quinn was surprised as well, by the lack of retaliation, but she heard about Coach Bieste's decree. She got even more stares than Rachel. Most of the students and teachers judged the Skanks by their appearances. They assumed they were sluts. Not many people believed that Quinn Lopez-Pierce had been raped. Most of the stares were hostile. No one fucked with her though, they were judging her, but they still had a healthy fear of the Skanks.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany was pleasantly surprised by Santana letting her sleep in. She found the note explaining she had taken the girls to school. The blonde took a hot shower, got dressed in some jeans and a sweatshirt and was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading her email.

She was surprised by someone knocking on her door. She was even more surprised to open the door to a distraught Carole Hudson. The woman looked awful, she had dark circles, her hair was unkempt, and she looked like she had aged ten years since Brittany had last seen her.

"Carole?"

"Brittany, may I speak with you, please?" She started to sob loudly. Carole had promised herself not to breakdown but the reality of what she had come to ask of Brittany Lopez-Pierce overcame her resolve.

"Oh Carole, of course, please come in." Brittany couldn't stand to say anyone in pain, not even Finn Hudson's mother.

She got the older woman settled at the table, and poured her a cup of coffee. The tall blonde let Carole calm herself down, and gather her thoughts. She sat quietly and waited. Carole smiled a watery smile when Brittany handed her a box of Kleenex, "Thank you."

Brittany nodded solemnly. She was not comfortable with Carole here in her kitchen. She knew Santana would have a fit if she knew, and the last thing she needed was Quinn or Rachel finding Carole here.

Carole pulled herself together, and started speaking shakily, "Thank you so much for seeing me. I know this is awkward for you, it is for me too," she pulled in a deep, shaky breathe, "I came to beg you, please don't let them send my son to prison."

Brittany gasped.

"I'm sorry, but from one mother to another, please. My heart is breaking for Rachel and Quinn, for you and Santana, but he's my son, my only child." She started to cry again, and Brittany felt her heart breaking.

"He is so angry at everything and everyone; so much of this is my fault. I wanted him to have a father he would look up to and respect. I let him believe his father was a hero, who died in the Gulf War. It wasn't true. His dad came home destroyed from what he saw and did over there. He started drinking; he got angry and couldn't keep a job. Brittany, Finn's father killed himself. I let Finn believe he was a hero. Over a year ago, Finn found out the truth. He hated me for lying to him. All this is my fault." She started to sob again. They were heartbreaking, guttural sobs and Brittany couldn't stand it anymore. She gathered the older woman into her arms, and tried to soothe her.

The stayed like that for almost a half an hour until Carole was able to speak again, "I'm begging you as a mother, to understand that he is a young, angry man who needs help, mental and emotional help not prison. I am not asking you to let him off the hook, not at all. What he did was wrong, but maybe we can come to a plea agreement that lets him get help in a hospital not a prison cell. Please, Brittany, he's my only child."

"Carole," Brittany had no idea what to say to the heartbroken woman, "I don't even know if Santana or I have a say in this," She finished helplessly.

"If you made a statement on his behalf, to the judge or the jury…."

Brittany opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a furious Santana, "What the FUCK is going on here?"

Both Carole and Brittany turned in shock to the visibly angry Latina standing in the doorway.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel had headed directly for the bleachers after her last class. She had 30 minutes before Glee started, and she couldn't be late. Quinn was still in Glee Club, and she would be so worried if Rachel was late. It was hard to shake her protection detail, but she had made up some female emergency lie that embarrassed Puck, and was able to slip away undetected.

She was nervously waiting by the couch under the bleachers like she had been instructed. She couldn't let those pictures get out. The shame would be more than she could bear. It was bad enough someone had them now.

She heard someone coming, and was shocked to see Azimio Adams saunter up to her, smirking at her.

"You?" She said shocked. Although, she didn't know why she was, he was Finn's best friend.

"I'm here to make you a deal Cheeri-Hoe." He said in a loud, cocky voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been walking around this school like you own it. Looking down on me, treating me like shit. Well, it stops now. You're going to give me what I want, or these go viral."

The Lopez DNA flared within Rachel, "You can go to Hell, Azimio Adams. I'm calling the police and telling them you have evidence to a crime and you are trying to blackmail me. Who knows, maybe they'll let you and Finn be roommates," She turned on her heel, and started to stalk off.

"That's too bad, cause the pictures I have of your slutty sister are way better."

She stopped walking, and he smiled evilly. He knew he had her now. He could see her breathing become erratic, and her slim shoulders shaking.

Rachel slowly turned around.

"Yeah, that Quinn is a total freak. Wait until the school sees these pictures. That fucking freak won't be able to show her face anywhere in Lima again," He stalked up to the girl, and got right in Rachel's face, "I was there that night at the party. You should have seen her; she was humping Finn Hudson's leg like a bitch in heat. She can cry rape all she wants, but she was begging for it that night."

Rachel raised her hand to slap him, but he easily caught her hand, "Tsk, tsk that would be a huge mistake. Unless you don't give a shit about your sister, and I mean why would you? Clearly, she's the embarrassing whore of the family."

"Don't talk about my sister like that, she's not a whore. Finn raped her, just like he tried to rape me," She was shaking as she screamed at the big jock.

"Well see, that's not how I remember it. Unless you do exactly what I say, I'm going to testify about what a total slut she is. Half the football team is going to swear she's slept with all of them as well. I can get them to change their minds; if you do want I want. If not, I'm going to tell anyone that will listen that she led Hudson on, she begged him for it. I will destroy your precious sister, and don't think I won't!"

Rachel felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. Quinn had spent a year trying to protect her, she needed to save Quinn. She looked up at the taller boy, tears obscuring her vision, her voice shaking, "What do you want me to do?"

Azimio Adams chuckled evilly, "Oh, sweetheart, what _**don't**_ I want you to do?"

"I, I don don't understand."

He stopped laughing and grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him, "Blow me!"

"What?"

"You heard me, blow me, now! Or your precious skanky whore sister is finished in this state."

"But, I…." Rachel felt trapped. She couldn't breathe.

Azimio shrugged, "Fine, I'll send you the link to the pictures." He started to walk away.

Rachel watched him horrified, she couldn't do this, but she couldn't betray Quinn. If only she had time to think, but there was no time. He was walking away, and in a minute he'd be gone. She would have let Quinn down again.

"Wait!" she cried out in anguish, "Please, wait."

He walked back over to the crying diva, "Good choice. Now blow me."

Rachel, still crying sank to her knees, as the big jock unzipped his jeans.

He grabbed her roughly by her ponytail, as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He hit record just as Rachel tentatively leaned forward, and took him into her mouth.

_**To be continued…. Please review….**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**a/n – Trigger alerts, don't own Glee or the characters**_

_**thanks so much for the alerts and for reading and reviewing.**_

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**Brittany opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a furious Santana, "What the FUCK is going on here?"**_

_**Both Carole and Brittany turned in shock to the visibly angry Latina standing in the doorway.**_

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

"Maybe I should rephrase that," Santana said low and angry, "What the FUCK are you doing in my house, talking to my wife?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to apologize. I'll go now," She turned and looked meaningfully at Brittany.

"It's not nothing, and you didn't come here to apologize. You came here, when you knew I wouldn't be home, to beg Brittany to go easy on that piece of shit you call a son," Santana elaborated, "You did that because you knew that bullshit wouldn't fly with me."

"San," Brittany scolded softly.

Carole Hudson flew up from the kitchen table, her eyes flashing fire, "He's not a piece of shit. He's an angry and confused boy. Prison is only going to make him an angry, confused, violent man. He needs help. He needs to be in a hospital."

Santana's eyes were nearly black with rage, "He needs a cage, es un animal…." She was furious, her head was bobbing, and she was jabbing her finger in the air towards Carole, "You've got exactly one minute to get the fuck up out of my house. Don't ever come back! ¡Eres el hijo es un animal inmundo."

Brittany knew when her wife switched to Spanish; it was about to get ugly. She stood between the two women, trying to lead Carole out of the house.

"How can you be such a cold-hearted bitch, Santana Lopez-Pierce? You have children, and neither are saints I might add," Carole yelled over Brittany's shoulder.

"Don't you dare compare my daughters to that rapist!"

Brittany was struggling to push Carole towards the front door, as Santana was following them screaming back at Finn's mother.

"All I asked was that you ask the judge to send him for treatment, instead of prison. Don't you have any compassion in your soul?" Carole sobbed.

"Oh I have plenty of compassion in my soul. It's for the innocent victims, not the rapists themselves," She yelled over Brittany, "Oh and just FYI, Finn is not a boy, he's a man. He also outweighs my daughters by at least 50 pounds. He raped Quinn, and he planned the whole thing with Rachel. He drugged her, and kidnapped her. It wasn't a high school prank. He kidnapped my daughter, and he carried her unconscious body into a hotel, and tried to rape her. He didn't steal a CD from Wal-Mart, Carole. He's a sociopath, and he can rot in jail for all I care."

Carole sobbed, "Please, Brittany. Please, don't send him to prison," The despondent woman clutched at the front of the blonde's shirt.

"Stop talking to my wife. I'm calling the police and getting a restraining order against you, and your entire fucking family. Do not ever come here again, or we can find a nice cell for you right next to your psychotic son."

Huffing from trying to push the older, heavier woman out the front door, Brittany finally succeeded. She could hear Carole sobbing on the other side of the door, and as a mother she could understand why Carole would beg for Finn. As Quinn's and Rachel's mother she knew there was nothing she was willing to do to help Finn Hudson. It still didn't stop her from being upset with Santana.

"Was all that really necessary, Santana?" Brittany's blue eyes narrowed at her wife, "We are a long way from Lima Heights and High School."

"It most certainly was! Please tell me you're not falling for her boo hoo bullshit about her poor misunderstood baby!"

The blonde headed into the kitchen to clean up, "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. She was upset; I didn't feel I needed to be rude to her. I listened to what she had to say. My children come first, and you know that," She put the coffee cups and saucers in the sink, and wiped the table clean, "What are you doing home, is everything all right?"

Santana had calmed down enough to realize Brittany was changing the subject so they didn't fight about what just happened. The Latina was not ready to let it go yet. She sat down heavily at the table, "Any coffee left?"

The tall blonde sighed, and poured her wife a cup of coffee. She sat down across from Santana, and watched her simmer and stew in her anger some more. At this point it was best to just let the Latina get it all out of her system.

"I can't believe the fucking nerve of that puta! To come to our home, to ask for mercy from you of all people, fucking bitch!" Santana spat. She looked at her wife sadly, "You're too nice, B. She is going to try to take advantage of that. He needs to pay for what he's done. He can't walk away from this with a slap on the wrist. Not after how he hurt our babies."

The blonde squeezed her hand lovingly, "I know, San. What he did was awful. He needs to be held accountable for that. We can't let him get out, and rape some other unsuspecting young girl."

Santana looked pacified for a minute. She looked up quickly, and started to speak again, "And you…" She pointed her finger at her wife, Brittany hated when she did that.

Brittany cut her off with a wave of her hand, "And I will never let her in the house again, I promise," She grabbed her finger, and tried to bite it, "And don't wiggle your angry Latina finger at me!"

The brunette finally smiled, "Ok, don't give me reason to point my finger at you!"

Brittany smiled gently and rolled her eyes, "Fine, now what are you doing home?"

"I forgot my cell phone this morning. It's plugged in upstairs," Santana looked at her wife with mischief in her coffee colored eyes, "Good thing too, next thing you know I'll come home and find you've given my side of the bed to a homeless person, and I'm sleeping on the couch."

"Keep talking and you'll find yourself there anyway," The blonde said playfully, as she got up to retrieve her wife's phone, "Finish your coffee, I'll get the phone."

"I love you B!" she said as she playfully swatted Brittany's perfect backside.

"I love you too, baby. I forgot how hot you are when you go all Lima Heights. Every time you get all protective and start yelling in Spanish, I want to take you right there on the floor," She smirked when Santana's eyes got wide, "You have time to be even later to work? I've unexpectedly found myself all hot and bothered this morning," She purred seductively, "Don't worry though, if you have to go to work, I can just take care of it myself," the blonde winked over her shoulder, and sauntered out of the room her ass wiggling seductively.

Santana choked on her coffee. The two women had not been intimate in a while with everything that had been going on. It took her all of two seconds to decide to call in sick, and run up the stairs after her wife.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Mack was standing under the bleachers smoking a cigarette. She heard low voices over by their couch, and thought someone was hooking up. Half the school hooked up on their couch at one time or another. The brunette wasn't in the mood to roust anybody anyway. It had been a long day. She had stayed attached to Q, but hadn't said a word to her. Fighting with your best friend was exhausting. She was finally more angry than hurt. It occurred to her what Quinn was doing, and it really pissed her off. She had stood by the blonde for the last year, since she found out about Finn Hudson and the rape. "How dare Quinn Lopez-Pierce just dismiss her the way she did?"

Deciding to have it out with her best friend, she was distracted by a soft whimper. Someone was crying. She could still hear a guy talking. She didn't like that sound of that at all. She walked over to see what was going on. Mack stood in shock watching for a second. She didn't even recognize it was Rachel. Mack only knew that the big jock was videotaping a sex act, and the girl was crying. She'd seen enough. Maybe she had rape on the brain lately, but somehow seeing the cheerleader crying didn't exactly scream consensual. Mack was even more furious that Azimio Adams was making a stupid video of it, the whole time the girl was crying. How was that even enjoyable? She was certain the girl wasn't even aware she was being taped. Besides, this douche was Finn Hudson's best friend. That was reason enough to punch him.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel had tried to do what the jock wanted. She was trying to protect Quinn. She just wasn't strong enough. She couldn't stop crying. Azimio Adams had warned her to knock it off twice. It was starting to piss him off.

He didn't even see Mack coming; he was looking down at the crying cheerleader in disgust.

Mack broadsided him with a flying tackle. He and his phone went flying as Rachel fell back on her ass in the dirt in surprise. The Skank stood up, kicked the large jock in the ribs, and grabbed his phone, "Fucking pervert," she screamed at the dazed jock, she turned in disgust towards the cheerleader on the ground, "and you, dumbass. I know the Cheerios aren't exactly known for their high IQ's, but still! He was taping you. You really want that on YouTube?"

She finally turned to get a good look at the cheerleader, and was shocked beyond belief, "RACHEL?! What the fuck are you doing?" She hurried over to the sobbing girl to help her up, "Come on, we got to get out of here before he comes to."

Rachel finally realized she was being drug towards the school, "No, we can't Quinn can't find out," The tiny diva was twisting trying to break loose from the hold Mack had on her.

The older girl pushed Rachel against the wall. She figured she had put enough distance between them and the big jock, "What were you doing with him? I want the fucking truth, Rachel!"

"He said he had pictures of Quinn. Naked ones, from the night with Finn, he said Finn sent them to him. He said that he was going to post them online," She was sobbing so hard, Mack had trouble understanding her, "Adams said if I didn't do this for him, he would testify against Quinn at the trial. He said he would testify he heard Quinn begging Finn for sex that night. He said the whole football and hockey team would all say they'd slept with her too. He was going to testify she was this huge slut, and ruin her in court," She was a mess; tears and snot were pouring down her face.

Mack was so angry, she was seeing red. It took her a minute to calm down. She saw how humiliated Rachel. She finally calmed down enough to speak calmly to the girl, "Did you see any pictures of Q?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, but he had pictures of me and Finn. He sent them to me Sunday night. It was me in the hotel room, when I was unconscious. Today, he told me had similar ones of Quinn from that night Finn raped her."

Mack started looking through the phone. She quickly found what she was looking for, "That bastard! I'm going to go back, and fuck him up," Rachel was clearly unconscious in the pictures. They were more than degrading, they were another violation.

The tiny girl scrambled to her feet, and grabbed her sister's best friend by the arm, "No, you can't do that. Lauren, he's too big, he'll hurt you. Please, let's just get out of here. I need to brush my teeth and clean out my mouth. I have to get to Glee before Noah and Quinn freak out. Please?"

"There aren't any pictures of Quinn on here, Rachel," Mack told the younger girl sadly, "He lied to you."

Rachel snatched the phone from Mack, "What? He said he had them, maybe they are somewhere else?" She said desperately, as she scanned the photos. She cringed when she came to the ones of her.

"If he had them, they'd be on his phone with the ones of you. He was just bluffing you to get what he wanted. You refused to have anything to do with him sexually today, didn't you?"

Rachel shook her head yes. She was so humiliated, how could she have been so stupid.

"You did this to protect Quinn?"

The cheerleader looked down at her feet sadly.

"So you were going to let him spread around these pictures of you, but you weren't going to let any of Q go viral?" She looked on the girl with new respect. Mack had always thought of Rachel as selfish, jealous of Quinn, and stupid for liking Finn. The tiny girl clearly loved her sister.

Mack choked up a little, when the smaller girl nodded sadly.

Mack stood quietly for a minute, trying to figure out what to do now. There were just too many secrets. If she told her friends, Quinn and Puck would murder Azimio Adams, literally. That left Santana or Brittany. She didn't want to hurt them, but they needed to know what was going on. It would be easier without Rachel with her, but would the tiny cheerleader be safe if she left?

"Come on, Q and Puck are probably losing their minds because you're late for your Homo Explosion club," She winked at the brunette when she saw Rachel get all puffed up about to yell at her.

Rachel just huffed, "You and Puck are so very annoying. It does not surprise me that you guys are friends," She wiped the tears off her face.

"We'll stop in the bathroom, and get you cleaned up first. Tell them Coach Sylvester kept you after Cheerios practice," Mack said gently to the traumatized girl. She put her arm around her shoulders and pulled her into her side. Rachel seemed to need comforting.

Rachel stopped and pulled the brunette into a quick hug, "thank you, Lauren. I can't believe I fell for his disgusting tricks."

"You're a good sister, trying to protect Quinn like that. I think you need to let your moms and the police handle these assholes from now on, Rachel. You've been hurt, so has Q. This is bigger than both of you. You can't handle this alone anymore. I really don't understand this whole Lopez-Pierce mentality you guys all have. Enough secrets ok, quit being stupid. Meeting Azimio Adams alone was stupid Rachel. I'm not trying to be mean, but it was. He is so much bigger than you. He could have raped you today. You are vulnerable right now, you have to stay safe."

"I didn't know it was him," She hung her head.

"Don't you see, that's even worse. Jesus Christ, Rachel! What would have happened to your family if he strangled you or kidnapped you or something?"

"I know. I was just so ashamed of myself. I was so mean to Quinn. I should have known something was going on. She was protecting me the whole time. I just wanted to be the one to protect her for once."

"Honest to God, if you and Q don't knock off the Kim Possible routine, I'm going to kick both your asses."

Rachel smiled shyly, "I love Kim Possible. I dressed up for her a couple of Halloweens age."

Mack saw a very young girl in front of her, not the HBIC. She wondered how she had missed it before. Clearly Quinn had tried to protect her innocence, and Finn had used it to his advantage, "Rach…" She hugged the tiny diva again, wanting to keep her safe.

Rachel started to cry, "I've messed everything up. You're going to tell my family, aren't you?"

"I have to, Rachel. This is serious. You're not thinking straight. He easily manipulated you. Don't you see how bad this would have looked in court? This video could have totally discredited you and Q. It would have been Hudson's get out of jail free card."

"They are going to be ashamed of me, and hate me," Big brown eyes welled with tears that dropped from her eyes and rolled off her quivering chin.

Mack leaned over; she put her finger under Rachel's chin. She tilted her face until they were staring at each other, "I wish I had your parents, Rachel. They could never hate you. You need them now more than ever," She laughed ruefully, "Hell, Rachel. They love me and Puck. Shows you how fucked up crazy your moms are!" She smiled at the younger girl's watery grin.

"I need you to do something, Rachel. Not for me, but for you and Quinn."

"What?" Big doe eyes looked up at Mack, and the girl found herself reminded of the Bambi movie she used to watch with her mom. She felt even more protective of the Lopez-Pierce family.

Mack spoke softly to the shattered girl, her voice cracking as she did, "Talk to Quinn about what happened today. Why you did what you did. That you wanted to protect her, the way she protected you. Tell her all that. She needs to know you don't blame her. She blames herself for what happened to you. Let her know you love her. You two need each other right now."

"I don't know if I can, but I'll try. Thanks again, Lauren, you saved me today. I know you don't like me much, and I can't blame you. Not after how I've treated Quinn and the rest of the Ska…." She stopped talking, blushing furiously.

"It's ok, we call ourselves the Skanks," Mack burst out laughing at the look of horror on the dramatic younger girl's face, "Quite frankly, I like you a whole lot more today than I used to. Hurry up, get cleaned up and get to Glee before Q and Puck try to find you. Do you want me to come in and help you?" She gestured towards the ladies room door.

"No, I'll be fine."

"You'll go straight to Glee, and nowhere else?" Mack pressed.

"I promise, straight to Glee!"

"You better!" Mack threatened.

Rachel actually giggled as she walked towards the bathroom.

Mack watched as Rachel hurried into the bathroom. She shot a text to Puck that she had found Rachel crying in the ladies room. Mack told him Rachel was on her way to Glee. She figured that would buy Rachel some time to get her act together. She really started to see the cheerleader as a person, and actually started to care about her. It was a weird revelation.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The two women were lying in bed face to face. Santana had just brought her wife to a shattering climax. The Latina was on top of her wife, and the blonde's long, toned legs were wrapped around her bare waist. Both their chests were heaving from the exertion. The brunette had her fingers still buried inside of Brittany. The blonde was still clenched around them, and Santana could still feel her pulsating against them. She took her time, and gently brought her down from her orgasm.

It was as if Brittany's body was an extension of her own. She knew how to play it, to bring her wife immense satisfaction. Today had been fast and furious. She used all her extra adrenaline to bring her wife pleasure. From the sounds Brittany had been making, she knew she was successful.

Brittany brought both hands up from Santana's backside to cup her face. She pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. The brunette moaned into the kiss. She was so turned on right now. Carefully removing her fingers from her wife, she scooted behind the blonde spooning her sweetly. She was dropping kiss after kiss on her wife's naked back and shoulder.

"God, San. That was incredible. I love the way you know exactly what I need."

"I love the way your body responds to my touch. I love the noises you make when you're coming." She smiled at Brittany's chuckle.

Brittany grabbed Santana's hand, and brought it to her flat stomach. She wiggled back until she was cradled against the Latina.

"Oh shit, B. I have to call work."

"Shhhh sleep now. I already texted Holly."

"When?"

"When I was walking up the stairs to get your phone."

Santana laughed, "Pretty cocky, aren't we Mrs. Lopez-Pierce?"

"No, just confident," Brittany leaned her head back for a kiss.

The brunette complied, and then gently put her head back down on the pillow, her long raven hair, mixing with her wife's yellow locks. Both women drifted off almost immediately. Sleep had been a rare commodity in the Lopez-Pierce household lately.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck had shown the text to Quinn. Both of them had been worried sick about Rachel. She was only ten minutes late to Glee Club, but for the diva it might as well had been ten hours. The girl was always early.

Quinn got up to go find her sister, when an overly cheerful Rachel walked into the room. She apologized to everyone, before finding her seat. Neither Puck, nor Quinn, was fooled by her wide smile. Rachel was hiding something. The punk girl was glaring daggers at the back of her sister's head. The tiny diva could feel it, but she was afraid if she turned around she would start crying.

She pulled out her phone, and sent Quinn a text promising to tell her everything after Glee. Mr. Shuester scolded Rachel about using her phone in class, so she apologized again and put it away.

Quinn showed the text to Puck, and he nodded. He wanted to know what was going on with the singer as well. Puck wasn't sure what had happened, but since Prom Night he had started to have genuine feelings for Rachel Lopez-Pierce. He knew he wasn't her type, but he promised himself he would do anything in his power to keep her safe.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana drifted awake with that intuitive feeling she got when someone was staring at her. She wasn't surprised to see Brittany nose to nose with her. Her sky blue eyes shining happily, as she played with loose strands of jet black hair.

"Hey," the Latina whispered.

"Hey," the blonde whispered back, "I've missed you."

Santana chuckled, "I've only been asleep for an hour or so, mi amor."

The blonde smiled sadly, "I've felt us drifting apart for the last year. We've been keeping things to ourselves. We need to stop doing that. I wouldn't survive if I lost you or the girls."

The Latina moved forward quickly, and engulfed her wife in her strong, sure arms, "You will never lose me, ever. We are forever, baby. I'm so sorry, I pulled away. I was so angry at everything, but not you, I swear."

"I know, but talk to me. Please, I'm your partner. I want to always be your partner, in every way."

"We are partners. The trial is going to be hard, but I'll be there for you. If you feel like I'm drifting away again, just remind me."

"That's a deal," Brittany pulled back, and kissed Santana chastely on her soft lips, "We need to get up. I'm going to go start dinner, and you need to shower."

Santana moaned, "No, I don't want to go back to the real world. I like our little drama free, sexy, loving bubble we have going on here. No one out there respects the bubble, B!" She whined.

Brittany laughed sweetly, pulling herself off the bed, "Get up lazy bones. You can help me make dinner, than we can go pick up the girls."

"Ugh you are so mean!"

"If you're not up in five minutes, you're going to see mean," Brittany teased.

"Fine, I'm up. Want to take a shower with me?" She stood there in all her naked glory. Brittany's mouth nearly watered looking at the perfect breasts, the toned abs, the long sleek legs, the smooth caramel skin, "Fifteen minutes, you brat! Then I have to get something done today."

Santana took her hand, leading her into the shower. They felt free and light. It felt good to be together alone, and intimate.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany was in the kitchen pulling things out of the freezer to make for dinner. Her long blonde hair was still damp, and she was glowing. The hot water, her sexy wife, another orgasm; the blonde felt incredible happy and satisfied today.

She was surprised by a knock on the back door. She hoped it wasn't Carole Hudson again. Peering through the curtain, she was surprised to see her daughter's best friend.

Opening the door, with a wide welcoming smile on her face, she beckoned the girl into the kitchen, "Lauren, how lovely to see you. Quinn is still at Glee, but you are welcome to wait for her. Can I get you something to drink?"

"A water please. Actually, I'm here to see you not Quinn," She sat down heavily at table. Brittany frowned, and turned to get her water from the fridge.

Santana walked in buttoning her shirt, "Hey kid, who pissed in your corn flakes today?" She said cheerfully.

Mack quickly answered, "Unfortunately, I'm here to piss in yours, I think."

"Language please," Brittany scolded both of them automatically, but her heart wasn't in it. She could tell something was bothering Lauren.

"What is it sweetie, you can tell us anything."

"Yeah, who'd you beat up, and how much trouble are you in? Enough for the best lawyer in Allen County?"

Brittany's head swiveled between brunettes, "You better not have beaten anyone up, did you?"

Mack was confused, "I knocked Azimio Adams down, but wait," she said quickly putting her hands up, as she watched Brittany change from concerned to angry, "Wait, let me explain everything that happened, please?"

The blonde sat back, and gestured for Mack to continue. She explained what had happened between Rachel and Azimio Adams. Trying to leave out specific details, she explained about the pictures Finn took of Rachel. How Adams had blackmailed Rachel by lying about Quinn. She had kept it relatively generic but knew that wouldn't last long once Santana Lopez-Pierce went into prosecutor mode.

"You're sure this kid has pictures of Rachel?"

"I have his phone, they are on there, I saw them. So are the texts he sent to Rachel arraigning for her to meet him today."

Santana held out her hand for the phone. Mack found the pictures, and handed the phone to the upset Latina. She and Brittany visibly flinched at the pictures.

"What could he hope to gain from blackmailing Rachel? She doesn't have much money." Brittany was devastated for her daughter.

"Sex, B. That's it, isn't it Mack? He wanted sex from Rachel?"

"I'm so sorry," Mack whispered, "it gets worse."

Both women's heads shot up at that.

"What do you mean, Lauren?" Brittany asked cautiously, "She didn't have sex with him, did she?" Her voice cracked.

Mack stammered, this was harder than she imagined it would be, "Well, not exactly."

"How do you not exactly have sex with someone?" Santana barked.

The teenager swallowed hard, the Latina had always intimidated her just a little, "Well kind of like Bill Clinton didn't have sex with that girl?"

It took a minute for the confused parents to get what Mack was saying, but she watched as they both caught on at the same time. Their eyes widened, Brittany's in shock, Santana's in anger.

"He videotaped it. I really don't think you guys should watch it. I only saved it in case it's evidence. He blackmailed her. I must have busted it up almost as soon as it started. She's sobbing the whole time, it's pretty clear she isn't doing it voluntarily. If you want to delete it go ahead, I won't tell anyone. I'm not a lawyer so I don't know if it would help or hurt you guys."

Brittany started to cry, and Santana visibly deflated, "Why would she do this? Why would she meet some anonymous person alone?"

"I think it's because she is so traumatized and vulnerable right now. She thinks Quinn hates her, she thinks you guys are going to be ashamed of her. She thinks I hate her. She has all this shame about how she acted for the last year, and about being with Finn as his girlfriend," She stopped talking, and shrugged, "At least that's what I think, not like she talks to me much."

Santana closed her eyes, and stayed quiet for more than five minutes. Brittany quickly pulled herself together, and Mack just stared at them. She was very uncomfortable with the silence. Finally the Latina opened her eyes, "I am not going to watch the video. I don't think you should either B, but if you need to I support your decision. We aren't deleting it either, I'm going to call the detectives, turn his phone over. I'm sick of these two girls of ours keeping secrets. It ends today."

Brittany nodded her head in agreement.

"Mack, would you be willing to testify about what you saw today?"

"Yeah, of course. As far as I'm concerned, Azimio Adams is a pig, and should be in a cell next to his good buddy, Finn."

Santana turned back to Mack, "Are there any more secrets that you know, and B and I don't? Last chance to come clean, and I mean it."

"Well, Quinn ended our friendship yesterday. I think she is trying to protect me. Once I got over being all hurt, it got clearer. Last night, I spent the night at Puck's and he helped me see that she was just trying some half-assed attempt at keeping me safe or something stupid," The teen was so intent on her thoughts about Quinn, she didn't realized what she had said.

The blonde's eyes drilled into her, "What do you mean you slept at Noah's house? Are you and he…."

"NO! Fuc…. I mean heck no! We are just friends. That's it, I swear to God!"

"Why did you sleep at Noah's house?" Brittany repeated, way too calmly, "It was a school night, and he is a teenaged boy. I'm assuming his mother didn't know?"

Mack was absolutely silent. She didn't know what to say.

"Lauren, we just got through saying, no more secrets. You agreed with us."

"Yeah, when I thought we were talking about Quinn's and Rachel's secrets." She burst out loudly.

"Lauren, I'm going to count to three…." Brittany said sternly.

Santana looked at Brittany in shock; her wife had lost her damned mind.

"You cannot be serious, I am 16 years old, and I'm not even your kid."

"One…." Brittany started. Santana just looked at a squirming Mack amused.

"You have got to be kidding me; this is completely off topic Mrs. LP!"

"Two…." Brittany moved to stand up.

"Th….."

"Fine, oh my God. I'll tell you, but I am not going to some stupid foster home. I can take care of myself," She scowled at the blonde, "my old man is on a bender. It's just easier to hang out at Puck's house until he gets over it. There, are you happy now?"

"Watch your tone with me, young lady," The tall blonde stood up and pulled the upset girl into her arms, "No, I'm not happy. I'm also not happy with you sleeping at Noah's house," She rubbed her hands up and down the girl's back trying to soothe her. She could tell Mack had started crying and was trying to hide it.

Santana stood up, she ran her fingers through the girl's long dark hair, "You can sleep here for a few days. You don't have to keep all this stuff bottled up, Mack. We love you."

The teenager pulled away, wiping her tears brusquely, embarrassed at her emotions, "Just what you guys need right now. I'll be fine. I only needed a day away. I'll go home tonight, it will be fine."

Brittany looked at her gauging her words for any sign of dishonestly, "If it's not alright, you come straight back here."

Mack nodded her agreement.

"Thank you for bringing this to us. We need to know what's going on or we can't protect them."

"I know, I told Rachel that. I told her I was bringing his phone to you. Can I say something to you guys? Without you getting mad at me?"

Both moms nodded their permission for her to continue.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm not a mom, but you guys need to get on the ball here. Every single time I come over here, Q and Rach are all alone in their rooms. They don't need to be alone. Don't let them be alone. All they are doing is beating themselves up," She was nervously pacing, "I love your family, I spend half my time wishing it was my family. You guys are all falling apart. Knock it off. They need their strict moms back. Everyone is walking on eggshells, worried about upsetting each other. They need you guys. Puck needs you guys. I might even need you guys. It happened. It's awful, it's shocking but it's over. Now fix it," She walked backwards towards the door, "Sorry for being disrespectful and all."

She opened the door, and bolted out leaving a stunned Santana and Brittany in her wake.

"Damn, but that brat schooled us good," Santana smirked.

"She's right too. I keep letting them stay in their rooms, because I don't know what to do or say. I'm the adult, I'm the mom. What am I doing?" Brittany mused.

The Latina picked up Azimio's phone, "Well, things are going to change around here starting right now. I'm going to go call the detectives. We'll go pick up Quinn and Rachel together. Why don't we all go out to eat? We can come home and talk. We need some new rules around here."

"Ok, I'll text the girls to meet us outside after Glee."

Santana hugged her wife, "It's all going to be all right, B. We just need to get through the trial now."

"We need to get them into counseling, San. They are both messed up emotionally from this. I don't think we can handle this on our own."

The Latina sighed, "God I hate the idea of counseling, but I think you're right. When I was talking to Quinn this morning about not keeping secrets, she got this funny look. I don't think we know everything that they do. Some big bombshell comes up in court, and Hudson could walk. I've seen it happen before, cut and dry cases blown out of the water by some nasty little secret."

Brittany sighed, "Ok, new rules, more talking, less alone time, and no more secrets."

"Do we punish Rachel for this?" She held up Azimio's phone, "I'm not sure it's fair, I didn't punish Quinn for keeping her stuff secret."

"I think she loses her phone for a week, and no internet. We make sure she knows it's not for what she did with him, but because she left school to meet a stranger alone."

"That's a spanking offense, B," The Latina clarified, "I just don't know if it's appropriate with her being traumatized. Still we have to be consistent."

"I don't know what the right thing to do is either, babe. Why don't we talk to both of them tonight? Discuss the rules. Follow our instincts. We'll talk about it, and decide later tonight."

Santana turned to head out of the room, "What about Mack?"

"We'll keep an eye on her and Noah as well. I swear all these teenagers are going to kill me."

"They are all lucky to have you, B. Me too, you're an incredible wife and mother."

"Make your call, San. I have a feeling the detectives are going to want to talk to Rachel and Lauren tonight." Brittany called out as Santana left the room.

She sat down, finally having a moment to process what Lauren had told them about Rachel. A cold chill ran down her spine. When did the world get filled with predators?

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**To be continued…. Please review….**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**a/n – Trigger and angst alerts, don't own Glee or the characters**_

_**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. You guys are the best!**_

_**Chapter 16**_

Glee wrapped up, and Rachel stood to leave. Quinn grabbed her sleeve, "Sit down, Rach. We need to talk."

Rachel stayed standing, "Not here, I don't want to talk about this here."

Quinn laughed sarcastically, "Little sister, you don't want to talk anywhere. Now spill."

The diva looked nervously towards Puck, "Noah?"

He narrowed his eyes at the sisters, "I'll wait outside the door. I'll make sure no one walks in on you guys."

The brunette cheerleader smiled gratefully at the boy, "thanks, Noah."

"We don't have a lot of time. Mama texted, and they are picking us up soon. So I want to know why you were late, and where you were," Quinn got right to the point.

Rachel sat down on her chair sadly. She had been trying to keep her emotions in check since Mack had found her and Azimio under the bleachers. She was so ashamed. Everyone was going to find out what happened. Everyone was already staring at her with pity or anger for being the girl who was drugged and nearly raped or worse the girl who made it all up. She didn't need this getting out.

Her older sister noticed the change in Rachel's demeanor. Her fake chipper attitude crumbled around her. Quinn had never seen her sister look so hopeless. She got up and knelt down in front of the smaller girl, "Hey, it's alright, Rach. I'm here, and I love you, no matter what. What's going on, talk to me," she whispered sweetly.

Big doe eyes, swimming with tears looked up into the loving eyes of her older sister, and she broke down. Rachel hadn't really let go of her feelings since this whole fiasco started on prom night. She had felt so guilty about everything. Quinn had been raped, she had not. She felt like she needed to protect Quinn, not the other way around. She felt like Quinn deserved more attention and pity than she was getting. Sadly, the punk girl looked like a skank, and they had a reputation around school, deserved or not.

The younger teen's sobbing, broke her older sister's heart. She quickly sat down next to the tiny brunette, and pulled her into her arms. Rachel was practically sitting on her sister's lap. She placed her head on Quinn's shoulder, and wrapped her arms around her waist. Rachel let go of all her feelings. She sobbed brokenly, as Quinn rocked her back and forth, and whispered words of love, comfort, and support.

Puck looked through the window of the choir room door. Quinn smiled at him sadly over Rachel's dark hair. He nodded grimly, and turned around to give them privacy.

The brunette quickly exhausted her tears, they weren't the first for her today, "I did something really stupid."

"Ok, it's not the first time, and it won't be the last. I've done some majorly stupid things in my time," she was trying to ease Rachel's mind. "I'm not going to judge you, if that's what you're worried about."

"Do you swear to God?"

Quinn sighed, she already didn't like where this was headed, "Yes, Rachel. I swear to God, and on all things holy. I will not judge you."

Rachel curled up in her sister's safe arms, and told her all about what happened with Azimio, and Mack under the bleachers. The whole sad tale, about the naked pictures of her, about the threat to destroy Quinn at trial, about the lie of naked pictures of Quinn, about the videotape, everything.

The cheerleader felt her sister stiffen in her arms, so she held on tighter and cried harder, "You swore, please don't hate me."

Those final four words tore a hole in Quinn's wall, and she kissed her sister fiercely and protectively on the top of her head, "I could never hate you, Rach. I've gotten angry with you plenty of times, but I love you so much. You are a part of my heart, and soul. Nothing you do or will do would ever cause me to leave you."

"I was so stupid. I was so stupid," the younger girl kept crying in her shame.

"No baby girl, you were vulnerable," Quinn smiled into the top of Rachel's hair as she continued to kiss her softly, "and you went into super Rachel hyper mode, and tried to fix everything by yourself again," she chuckled.

The slight teasing had the desired effect, as Rachel pulled back from her sister indignantly, "I am not the only one who goes off trying to fix things all by themselves."

Quinn winked at her, "I know! It takes on to know one."

Rachel gave her sister a watery grin when she realized she was being played. She laid her head on Quinn's shoulder, "You sure you don't hate me?" she whispered.

"You know, for the longest time, I thought you hated me, Rach. It made me sad, and angry. I went out of my way to pick on you, just to rile you up. When we started high school, I didn't want to be captain of the Cheerios. I knew it was something you would be so much better at than I could ever be. Then when the thing with Finn happened, I was so afraid if I told you it would destroy any relationship we still had. I was selfish not to have told you. I didn't tell you, and it nearly got you raped. When I think of what could have happened that night, I hate myself more than you could ever hate me."

Rachel leaned back, and looked into her sister's hazel eyes. They shone with honestly and sincerity. She was shaking her head softly, trying to refute everything Quinn was saying.

"No, Rachel. It's all true. If I had told mama or mommy about what he did to me, you would have never been at prom with him. I have so many regrets, so much guilt and shame that it is eating me up. If I had been the big sister you deserve, I would have gone to mama and mommy the minute he asked you out. I didn't and it was all for selfish reasons. I need you to forgive me sweetheart, not the other way around."

"But Finn…." Rachel started determinedly.

"Yes, you're right. Finn was responsible for his actions. I'm still responsible for mine. Mine put you in that hotel room," she looked away as tears filled her eyes, "do you think you can ever forgive me, Rach? Can we ever get back to being as close as we used to be? I miss you so much."

Rachel flung herself into Quinn's arms, "I never hated you, Quinnie. I never blamed you for what happened. Of course, I forgive you. I need you. I'll always love you."

Quinn squeezed her little sister harder, "Thank you for trying to protect me today. I can't live if something happens to you. Promise me you won't go off alone, no matter what those liars say. You need to swear to me now."

Rachel laughed ruefully, "Well by now, mama and mommy have his stupid phone and the video. I'll be lucky to leave my room before we graduate," She sat up and wiped her tears away with the back of her hands, just like she did as a small child, "but I swear Quinn. I will be more careful, and I will try not to do anything stupid ever again."

Quinn laughed, "Well, let's not get too carried away. You're bound to do something stupid before long."

The cheerleader huffed indignantly, and slapped her sister softly on her arm, "Ass!"

Rachel looked so solemn so quickly.

"What is it, Rach?"

"It wasn't all you, Quinn. I've been awful to you. I was so jealous of you."

Her sister exhaled sharply, "Jealous? Of me? Why?"

Brown eyes looked down in shame, "You are so beautiful, and so popular. Everything seems to come so easily for you. I even felt sometimes like mama and mommy love you more than me. Like maybe I never belonged to this family. Sometimes I think I was switched with the real Lopez-Pierce baby in the hospital," she said sadly.

"About that, I wasn't serious when I told you that. You know I was just being a mean bitch when I told you that?" Quinn felt instantly guilty.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "I know that, I'm not stupid. I just feel like I don't fit in anywhere. You seem to fit in everywhere."

"Rachel, you have been paying attention for the last year, right? You do know I'm a skank and the entire student body spits on me now?"

Brown eyes met her sister's sadly, "I'm sorry for being so mean to you this entire year. No wonder you didn't feel like you could trust me with what happened. I've been an awful person; jealous, spiteful, vindictive. Not a good sister at all," she looked back down quickly.

Quinn put two fingers under Rachel's chin, and raised her head, "It wasn't a matter of trust, sweetheart. I was ashamed. If I trust anyone besides the moms, it's you. So we both fucked up. Now we can start all over with a clean slate. I'll never love anyone the way I love you Rachel. You're the only sister I will ever have."

"I love you too, Quinnie. With all my heart!" Rachel exclaimed happily, "So we are good?"

The punk girl smiled at her younger sister, "We will be, as soon as you quit calling me Quinnie," she laughed at the exasperated look on Rachel's face, "unless you want me to start calling you Rachie?"

Rachel nodded and smiled, "Ugh no thanks! I'm so glad we are good again, at least until we get in the car, and our parents kill me."

"We better get going. I'm pretty sure they'll be here by now," Quinn stood up and grabbed her backpack.

"I want to go wash my face, can you go tell them I'm in the rest room and I'll be right out?"

"Want me to come with?" Quinn asked, happy about the new truce between the sisters.

"I'm good. Go and let them know everything is alright. I don't want mommy storming in here to drag me out by my ear," Rachel shuddered at the memory of her angry mother pulling her into her office by her ear. "Never again," she vowed silently, "not if she could help it."

Quinn grimaced having experienced a very similar event with her mother, "don't take too long."

Rachel surprised her sister by planting a loving kiss on her cheek, "I love you, Quinn. Thanks for forgiving me.

"I love you too, Rach. Thanks for forgiving me." The stopped and hugged each other tightly.

Rachel pointed towards the ladies room, "I'll be right out."

The older sister walked out of the choir room. Puck followed her so he could talk to their mothers. He loved seeing them. Besides the school seemed totally empty except for Rachel.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck and Quinn talked as they walked towards the family car, "So what's with you and Mack?"

"What do you mean?"

"She was all drunk and homicidal the other night at my house. I know it had something to do with you. So don't play me, ok? I care about you guys."

Quinn sighed, another thing to fix, "Yeah, I was an asshole to her. I thought I was protecting her, but I just hurt her. I'll fix it."

"Do that would you? She loves you, and she's loyal. She'd do anything for your family, just like I would."

"I know, Puck. I'll call her when I get home tonight."

"Good, her old man is on another fucking bender, and I'm worried about her. There's only so much she'll tell her old lesbro, Puckster anyway. That there is girl talk, feelings and shit," he grimaced at the thought of being all sensitive around a crying girl.

Quinn laughed delightfully, "Well, we can't have you doing feelings, and getting all gay on us."

He shoved her good naturedly, and ran up to the car to say hi to his favorite set of parents.

Quinn jumped in the back seat, and stood outside of Santana's car window, "Rach had to use the ladies room. She said she'd be right out."

Brittany smiled at her daughter, and then turned a glare on Puck, "Where is your coat, young man. It's nearly freezing out."

Santana and Quinn both laughed at how Puck instantly looked like a naughty kid caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

The blonde rolled her eyes at his stammering, "Get in the car, it's warm in here. We'll drop you home on the way."

He jumped in the backseat without hesitation, "That's ok, Mrs. LP. I have my truck here. I was just waiting with Q and Rach until you guys got here."

Santana met his eyes in the rear view mirror, and conveyed her gratitude silently. The tough teen just nodded solemnly. He took his protection detail on his Jew babe and his lesbro seriously.

The Latina huffed in irritation, "What in the hell is taking her so long?" She looked at her watch, and then back at the school doors, "That's it!"

Brittany jumped into action, "Stay here, baby. I'll go get her," she could tell her wife was reaching her boiling point.

Santana went to yell a threat out the window, but stopped herself when she remembered what had happened to her youngest daughter today.

Puck jumped out with her, "I'll show you where she is."

"I did attend school here, Noah. I know where the ladies rooms are."

"Well it's good for my rep to be seen with a stone cold MILF," he said in his normal cocky tone.

"Be quiet, Noah!" Brittany scolded good-naturedly.

"Yep, being quiet now."

Brittany wrapped her arm around the teen's shoulders. She really did love these kids.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel had taken care of business, and was washing her hands. Her eyes looked awful in the mirror. She pulled some paper towels out of the metal container, and wet them with cold water. She was going to try a cold compress for a minute or two. See if that didn't get rid of some of the awful puffiness around her eyes.

She was bent over the sink, with the towels held to her eyes when she heard the bathroom door open.

"I'm almost done, Quinn. I told you I'd be right out. My eyes look awful," she stood up and was shocked to see a furious Azimio Adams in the mirror. She spun around in panic. He was shaking, he was so angry.

"Where's my fucking phone, bitch?" He yelled roughly.

Rachel looked for a way out, but the only way was through him. The football player was taller by a foot, and had at least one hundred and fifty pounds on her. She'd have to try to talk her way out of the room, "I don't have it, Azimio. I swear."

He advanced a step, his eyes smoldering, "You think I'm stupid or something? Give me my fucking phone back."

"I don't have it, honest. Mack must have taken it. I can get it from her though."

"Call her now! Have her meet us here."

"I can't, I'm grounded. My mom has my phone," she said sincerely. Talking softly, trying to calm him down. He looked like a bull that just saw a red cape. She was seriously frightened, "Azimio please…"

"You take that phone, and put me in jail next to Hudson. I don't think so," He advanced closer, menacingly.

Rachel took a step back, and hit the sink. She skirted around the sink, up against the cold tile wall. She was still trying to talk to him, as she tried to work her way around him. She might get lucky and have one shot at the door. Once she was clear, she knew she was faster than him, and her moms were in the parking lot with Noah and Quinn.

"Look Azimio, my moms are waiting for me. I don't want to put you in jail. I won't even tell anyone this happened. I'll get our phone back, I promise."

"You always thought you were better than me. You never even looked at me, and when you did it was like I was some disgusting bug or something."

"That's not true," she said desperately, "it's just that I had a boyfriend. I wasn't looking at anyone."

He exploded in rage, "Are you calling me a liar? I know what I know! I am not going to jail cuz you're a little prick tease slut like your sister," he grabbed her by the throat, and banged her back against the tile wall.

"Azimio, please. I won't tell anyone. I swear!"

"Shut the fuck up," he growled gutturally in her face, his nose inches from hers as he lifted her with one hand off her feet, "I'm not stupid! I want my fucking phone. Give it to me now."

Rachel wrapped both hands around his wrists, trying to break free from his choking grasp. Her feet couldn't touch the floor anymore, and she couldn't breathe. She tried to kick him, but was losing strength. It wasn't clear what he was saying to her anymore. He had her a foot off the ground by the throat, and all she could think was she was going to die in a bathroom, at the hands of this lunatic.

She wasn't aware of pain in her head or the panic or the cold tile against her back. All she was thinking about was random happy memories. She remembered ice skating with her family as a small child. Holding Quinn's hand trustingly, they both had on matching hats, scarves, and mittens sets and pigtails. Learning how to dance with Quinn and her mama. Waking up from her tonsil operation to find both moms at her bedside. Being on stage, and winning her first singing competition. Taking a bubble bath with Quinn and making bubble beards together. All the best moments of her life.

"Wow," she thought randomly, "you're life really does flash before your eyes right before you die."

She stopped fighting. Her hands hung loosely at her sides. A dark, black fog was descending over her and she saw stars. Of course, she saw stars. It made her want to cry. The last thought she had was a small prayer that her family knew how much she loved them. Then it all went black.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

"I'll wait out here, Mrs. LP," Puck laughed as Brittany walked into the ladies room. He was startled and badly frightened by the wounded animal, blood curdling scream that came from the bathroom.

He rushed in, and took in the scene. A frantic Brittany was beating on Azimio Adams. The football player had an ashen gray Rachel against the wall by the throat. The girl looked fake, like a plastic doll. It didn't look like Rachel. Brittany was screaming, as she pummeled the oblivious Adams.

His only thought was to break Rachel free from his grasp, so Puck kicked Adams as hard as he could between his legs from behind. The teen dropped Rachel as he cried out and fell to his knees. Puck didn't care if he killed him, he actually hoped he did.

Rachel dropped like a rag doll. Her lips were blue and her face was waxen.

Puck stood there helplessly, he thought to himself, "So this is what dead people look like."

He was in a state of shock.

Brittany gathered her youngest child into her arms, as she continued to scream, "Oh God, please no! Rachel baby, please don't! Please don't leave us! Oh God, Noah, she's not breathing!" she screamed brokenly.

Puck broke out of his trance, and pulled his phone out of his pocked and dialed 911.

The tall blonde bent over, and started CPR on her baby. She was sobbing, and trying to focus, "Breathe, baby. Come on, breathe baby," it had become a mantra.

Puck put the phone on speaker, as the 911 supervisor started to walk Brittany through CPR. Neither one noticed a pale Azimio Adams limp out of the bathroom.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana was no longer irritated, she was getting nervous. Something was not right. She was getting ready to get out of the car, when the loud wailing of an ambulance and police car distracted her. By instinct, she looked up at the sound. Her heart dropped when they both pulled into McKinley High's parking lot.

She took off at a run towards the door to the school. Her fear was pumping adrenaline to her wildly beating heart. All she could think was, "No, no, no, no, no….."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**To be continued…. Please review…**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N – Trigger and angst alerts, don't own Glee or the characters**_

_**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. You guys are the best! Apologies for the late posting: Exams, Exams, Exams **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters. I'm not a doctor, so even though I researched this, I am not an expert by any means.**_

Chapter 17

After being shouted at by Rachel's terrified mother, Puck reluctantly left Brittany alone performing CPR, so he could go get Santana. Giving the woman a look of hope and encouragement, he ran at breakneck speed from the restroom towards the parking lot. The two women and the punk boy collided as he skidded around the corner. It was only a miracle that kept them from winding up as a pile of limbs on the varnished floor.

"Rachel, restroom…." Puck breathed heavily, "Azimio, Mrs. LP doing CPR…." He was bent over, his hands on his knees, panting, tears streaming down his face, pointing towards the ladies room.

Santana took off running again, "Quinn wait at the door for the ambulance, and get them here quickly. Puck, get Mack to meet us at the hospital. We'll need her statement to arrest Adams. HURRY!" She screamed at them over her shoulder, as she rushed to her stricken youngest child.

Both teenagers jumped into action with her frantic yell. Quinn raced to the door to flag down the police and paramedics pulling into the parking lot. Puck reached for his cell phone and realized Brittany had it with her.

"Damnit!" he yelled close to full blown sobbing.

"What is it?" Quinn grabbed him in panic.

"Your mom has my cell phone, in the bathroom with her; we called 9-1-1. They are performing CPR. She stopped breathing, Q. I'm so fucking scared," he finished in a sad whisper.

"Azimio Adams?" She questioned, although she knew deep in her heart it was him. Puck nodded.

"Oh God, how could I have been so stupid to have left her in here alone?" Quinn moaned pitifully.

Puck put his arms around his hurting friend, "I left her alone too. I was sure the place was empty. It's always empty this time of night. Rachel always closes the place down after Glee."

They both saw the ambulance and police car park their vehicles by the gym door.

Sobbing, Quinn raced from the building waving her arms like she was landing a jet plane. She watched as the paramedics acknowledged her, and came running pushing a gurney. They were followed closely by the police.

Puck ran down the long hallway, leading everyone to the unconscious teenager. When they got to the bathroom door, the paramedics ordered the teens to wait in the hallway.

Quinn slid brokenly down the wall; she pulled her cell out of her pocket and handed it to Puck. Then she put her head in her hands and whimpered. Puck thought she sounded like a wounded animal. It was breaking his heart to be so helpless. He found Mack's number, and punched it in.

Mack felt her phone vibrating, and was happy to see it was Quinn's number, "Hey, Q. Why are you calling me? I thought we weren't friends anymore," she said before she could stop herself. She was still hurt.

"It's Puck."

A jolt of terror ran through Mack's body from head to toe. He sounded devastated, devoid of any joy or hope, and it scared her to death, "Oh God, what happened? Is Quinn ok?"

"It's Rachel. Brittany and I walked in on Adams attacking her in the ladies room after Glee. I have no idea why he wanted to hurt her, but it looked like he was trying to kill her. He had her up against the wall with one hand. Adams was choking her. It makes no fucking sense," he said in despair, "What did she ever do to him?"

"Oh God, fuck, fuck, fuck…How is she?" She was pacing around trying to think.

Puck looked down at Quinn, and walked away from her. He had his back to her as he whispered, "Not good, she wasn't breathing. She looked dead. It was terrifying. Mrs. LP wants you to meet us at the hospital. She says you need to make a statement."

"I'll be right there; I'll explain everything I know when I get there. Don't leave Quinn's side, do you hear me Puck?"

"I'm not going anywhere," He said determinedly.

He hung up with Mack just to hear Quinn yell his name. Looking back, he saw the paramedics quickly wheeling Rachel out. The woman paramedic was straddling Rachel on the gurney, still performing CPR. A hysterical Brittany was practically being carried out of the room by her wife.

Puck quickly grabbed Quinn before she collapsed to the floor. He scooped her up bridal style as she clung to him in shock.

Santana leaned back, and handed Puck her car keys, "Please follow that ambulance, and get us to the hospital as quickly and safely as you can, please, son?"

He swallowed the lump in his throat. She called him son. He would take that seriously, and never fail to protect these women again.

They all practically ran for the parking lot.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck drove the car with Quinn in the front seat next to him. Brittany and Santana were holding each other in the back seat. The only sounds were Quinn's and Brittany's tears, and Santana's soft assurances, "She's going to be ok, baby. She's going to be, ok. You found her in time; she'll be ok once we get to the hospital."

Quinn reached over and took Puck's hand, and nearly crushed it. She needed to believe her mother so badly right now. Puck squeezed back. He realized he loved the annoying, pint sized diva. He needed to believe Santana as well.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

They all rushed into the Emergency Room, and were met by a disconsolate Mack. Brittany and Santana raced for the back room, only to be stopped by the nurse in charge.

"I'm sorry; you can't go back there right now. I'll call you as soon as you can," she said firmly but compassionately.

Brittany pleaded as tears streamed down her face, "Please, it's our baby. She can't die all alone, please."

Santana choked back a sob, and looked at the nurse fiercely, "I'm a lawyer, and you can't keep us from being with our baby."

The nurse leaned closer to Santana and looked her right in her burning black eyes, "Let the doctor do his job, and save your girl's life. Your job is to take care of your family, out here. You can't help your daughter, you can help your wife and family," she nodded gently towards her sobbing wife, and the very distraught looking teenagers gathered awkwardly behind them.

The Latina took a step back, and nodded her understanding. Rachel's situation was very precarious. They were trying to save her, and she and Brittany would only be in the way. She gathered Brittany into her arms, and led her over to the waiting room.

The nurse looked at her sadly, "Thank you. I'll find you the minute I know anything."

Santana nodded her gratitude. She found an empty bunch of chairs, and sat down pulling her wife down onto her lap. Brittany curled up in her arms, and clutched her tightly. Santana did the only thing she could think to do, she prayed.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The police entered the waiting room, and motioned for Santana to join them. She carefully placed Brittany on the seat next to her, and whispered gently, "I have to talk to the police now, baby. I'll be right back. Quinn and Puck will wait with you," She nodded to her oldest daughter. Quinn got up and sat down next to her mama, and pulled her into a fierce and protective hug. Puck sat on the other side of Brittany, and took her hand gently. They flanked the woman in a fiercely loyal show of love and support.

Santana walked over to Mack, and took her hand softly, "Can you do this, sweetheart? Can you tell them what you know, what you saw?" she whispered gently to the clearly upset and guilty looking teenager.

Mack stood up erect, and squared her shoulders. She was going to see that bastard, Adams, dead or in jail. Either way was alright with her, "I can do this, for Rachel, for Quinn, for you and for Mama LP. I got it covered," she finished vehemently.

Santana leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "thank you, mija."

Mack nodded and followed her best friend's mother into the conference room the police had directed them too. Right before she entered the room, she glanced back at her friend. Her dark eyes, met the watery, sad, hazel eyes of her friend. She nodded again firmly, and gave Quinn a thumb up. She had this covered. Quinn's lips twitched slightly as if knowing they may never smile again. She quickly looked back down at her mama, and started to repeat her mom's assurances. She didn't know if they were true, but at least they were comforting.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Time seemed to be standing still, and Brittany was beside herself with worry and fear. She gently unwrapped herself from her oldest daughter, and started to pace. She couldn't just sit still. It felt almost superstitious to her, but she strongly believed her constant motion was the only thing keeping Rachel alive. It was all she had to hang on to.

Puck and Quinn watched her warily. Quinn had never seen either of her parents this shattered.

Everyone stopped and looked up when the conference room door opened, and Santana and Mack emerged with the detectives. The older brunette looked absolutely homicidal, and the younger brunette had swollen red eyes, and was visibly shaking.

Brittany, Puck, and Quinn made their way quickly over to them. Seeing them coming over, Santana schooled her features, and opened her arms taking in her wife and daughter. Puck tried to hold Mack, but she shook him off and walked as far away from the group as she could. She threw herself down into a chair, crossed her arms, and quickly wiped away tears with the back of her hands.

Santana told everyone to leave Mack alone so she could get her emotions under control.

"What the fuck is taking them so long?" Santana looked for the nurse they had initially spoken to, "I can't believe they haven't' come out and gotten us yet."

Brittany laid her forehead against Santana's temple, and rubbed soothing circles under her shirt, on her lower back. It was the only thing that seemed to calm the Latina down. Quinn and Puck had to look away; the gesture was so heartbreakingly intimate.

In that moment, Puck realized what Quinn and Rachel had always known, Brittany was the emotional strength of the family, while Santana was the physical strength. Together they could conquer anything the world threw at them. They were more than just soul mates; they were two opposite halves that created a whole.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The family was back sitting in the waiting room, and everyone was restless. Mack was still seated by herself far away from everyone else.

Brittany rubbed her forehead, her head was pounding and this wait was killing her. She looked over at the obviously angry teenager at the other end of the waiting room, and whispered to her wife, "What happened in there with Lauren?"

Santana frowned, "you're not going to like it, babe."

"Lately, I find myself not liking anything happening around us."

"Until they have Azimio Adams in custody, they want to put a protective detail at Mack's house. They feel he might come after her."

The blonde mother nodded, it made sense. She raised an eyebrow waiting for the rest of the story, the part she wasn't going to like.

"She hasn't been home in a month. The kid has been sleeping all over town, wherever she can find a spare bed. Mostly with the other kids she hangs out with, sometimes Puck, and evidently in the park in the empty shed. I guess her old man has been on quite the drinking binge, and he's scary when he drinks. Mack has been avoiding him, and that means avoiding her house."

Santana watched the different emotions come over the beautiful face of her wife. It was scary, and she swore she saw sparks shoot out of the crystal blue eyes. Brittany slapped her hand down on the empty chair next to her, "Damnit!"

She started to pace the floor, clearly angry and upset. Blue eyes glared at Mack, who sunk down in her chair looking guilty and worried.

Santana stood up and went to her distraught wife, "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to upset you. I shouldn't have said anything right now."

The tall blonde stopped and turned towards her wife. She cupped her cheeks lovingly, "It's not you, or even Lauren. I just can't deal with anymore right now. I need to focus all my energy on Rachel. That's just how it has to be. I can't fix everyone that is broken right now; I just need our baby to be ok. Lauren is important, but Quinn and Rachel need all our attention right now."

"I know, baby," The Latina laid her forehead against Brittany's, "She has to be ok, and she will be ok."

"Dear God, what is taking so long," Brittany wrenched herself out of Santana's grip, "I can't take it anymore. They are going to let me back there right now," She made her way towards the reception desk, taking long angry strides.

Santana grabbed her arm, as the loud hiss of the electronic doors signaled the entrance of two doctors in white coats.

The younger of the two looked down at the folder in his hands, and called out, "The Lopez-Pierce family?"

Five desperate looking people turned in unison towards the pair of doctors, "this way please," the doctor motioned them towards the conference room Santana had just recently emerged from.

Quinn whispered tearfully, "Mama? Can I come too?"

Brittany walked back to Quinn, and wrapped her arms around her lost looking oldest daughter, and guided her into the room.

Santana looked back at Puck and Mack, "We'll be back soon, don't worry," she said tenderly. She loved them both dearly, and considered them family, but B was right. They had to focus everything they had to give on Rachel right now. Then they had to get Quinn the help she needed. Then they could concentrate on the two abandoned and neglected teens they considered their other children.

The two teens nodded, and sat back down to wait for the news of Rachel; the news that would be the beginning or the end of life as they knew it.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The doctors made introductions that the women barely heard. All of them were looking at the faces and the body language of the men who were treating Rachel. They all sat at the conference table across from the doctors. Their hands were gripped tightly in each other's hands.

The ER doctor, the younger of the two started, "First of all, let me start by apologizing for keeping you waiting out here for so long. I can only imagine how agonizing it has been. The good news first, she is alive," he was interrupted by a loud sob from Brittany, "thanks to your quick thinking, and use of CPR she is alive. It only takes four to six minutes without oxygen deprivation to cause brain death; her scans are showing brain activity. That is very good news, with injuries of this type."

Santana, being naturally skeptical asked wearily, "But?"

"But, she was without oxygen for a short period; we aren't sure for how long. We won't know the extent of damage, if there is any, for a while, at least until she wakes up."

The older doctor, who they knew to be the specialist continued, "I know this is a lot to take in, and you are all traumatized and in shock, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have."

The all nodded their understanding, so he continued.

"In a violent choking, or strangulation a number of things can happen that are very bad; the trachea and the larynx can be crushed, damage to the spinal cord, severing of the spinal cord, the tiny bones in the throat which are called the hyoid can be broken depending on the force used. With Rachel, none of those life ending events occurred, and she is a very lucky girl. Her injuries are still life threatening though. Because of the force that was applied to her neck, she suffered a hematoma in her throat that was part of the reason she stopped breathing on her own. When it started to clot, and the tissue in her neck began to swell, it began to block the flow of oxygen to her brain. The paramedics intubated her in the field, so it kept her airway open. Had they waited until arriving here, we would not have gotten a tube past the swelling," he took a deep breath and looked at them, "it is my opinion; she would not have survived at that point."

Santana leaned forward, "So she's not breathing on her own?"

"We have a ventilator helping her right now. Because of the swelling, we need to keep her airway open. This is the best way we know. She also has a slight subdural hematoma in her brain. A tiny brain bleed, caused by traumatic impact. I would like to stress there is no skull fracture, she has only a small amount of swelling in her brain, and I don't consider this a life threatening injury based on the CT scan results. It is something we need to monitor closely, any traumatic brain injury is problematic. We have administered medication to help stop the bleed, and reduce any swelling in the brain."

Brittany sniffled as she wiped her face, "So what is the bad news?"

"Any person with brain injury more often than not experiences some level of coma immediately or shortly after the onset of their injury. At this time, Rachel is in a coma," he watched them take in the news. He had been a Neurosurgeon for a long time; it was not easy to tell parents their child was in a coma, "In coma situations, a person is in a state of reduced consciousness or is unconscious. Our definition of coma would be; no eye opening, no recognizable speech, no following of motor commands. In this state, the person in a coma exhibits differing levels of responsiveness to touch, pain, and verbal commands. So it's better to talk about depth or levels of Rachel's coma. A common tool used to measure coma is the Glasgow Coma Scale. It evaluates a person's ability to open eyes, best verbal response, and best movement response. Rachel responds to painful stimuli, she responds to light and loud noises. She is not at this time responding to verbal commands, but that is to be expected. Also, the amount of swelling, and the tracheal intubation make it impossible to test her verbal or eye responses. I can't say at this point what level she is at. I am very hopeful because of her responses, and her brain activity."

Quinn looked reluctant to talk, but her mother squeezed her hand gently. She could see that Quinn had something to say, "So we don't know when she is going to wake up?" she nearly whispered.

The younger doctor nodded, "No, but the most important thing right now, is she is alive, and she is a fighter. She didn't like the throat tube at all."

Santana snorted out a painful yet amused laugh, "I can imagine, she hasn't stopped talking since she was 10 months old. She's a singer as well, with dreams of Broadway."

Quinn injected, "She's incredibly talented, will she still be able to sing?"

The doctor smiled kindly, "I don't think she has any permanent damage to her throat."

"It's sounds very cliché, but every hour that passes without a respiratory crisis, or further brain injury is a huge victory for Rachel."

Brittany pleaded, "When can we see her?"

"She's in the ICU; I'll have the nurse take you back. Remember, the brain is still a mysterious organ for all our advances. Sometimes the body will shut off in order to rest properly, and attempt to heal itself. Please stay hopeful. She is young, strong, fit, and willful," He smiled at them all, "but most importantly, she is a fighter with a lot to live for, and a wonderful family to come back to."

Everyone stood up, and the older doctor excused himself, "I am going back to check some of Rachel's labs. I will be here all night, checking on her hourly. If you have any questions, let the nurses know, and they can find me," He extended his hands out warmly, and they all grabbed onto them as if to a lifeline.

The ER doctor stayed in the room, "I want to prepare you a little for what you are going to see."

Santana, Brittany, and Quinn all looked at him trepidatiously.

"The tracheal intubation can be intimidating. It is going to look like she is uncomfortable or fighting it, I can assure you she is not in pain or afraid. It's just the mechanical nature of the ventilator is going to seem out of rhythm with her natural breathing. Her neck is swollen and very bruised from the hematoma, and her face is swollen and bruised. All of that is consistent with her injuries and is going to look much worse than it really is. Don't be afraid to touch her, or talk to her. We don't really know what she can hear or understand right now, but it can only be comforting. I'll be here all evening as well. Don't hesitate to seek me out, if you need any questions answered. This is going to take time to absorb. Remember she's still with us, and that is a very lucky thing."

"Thank you doctor," Santana choked out. She just wanted to see her daughter. She would ask questions later. She just needed to touch Rachel, and feel that her body was still warm.

"I'm sorry to ask you to wait for just a few more minutes, but if you could just take a seat in the waiting room, I will send the nurse to get you in a few minutes to bring you back," he finished kindly, "I'm afraid at this moment, it can only be two people at a time," he looked meaningfully at Santana.

She nodded; she had a feeling it might be too hard on Quinn to go back until she had some time to prepare.

All three of them walked out of the conference room. Santana immediately saw her good friend, Detective Reina Sanchez.

"Babe," Santana nodded towards Reina.

"Go on, I'm alright."

Santana pulled Brittany close, and poured her whole heart and soul into a soft kiss on her full lips, "We are all going to be alright, mi amor. The worst is over. She is going to recover, and our family is going to heal. We will all be whole again."

Brittany threw herself into her wife's arms. She had to believe Santana. Her wife would never lie to her about something this important. The tall blonde reluctantly extricated herself from her wife's loving embrace, and nodded to Reina. She went to sit by Quinn who was filling Puck and Mack in on the details as best she could through her hitching sobs, and heavy breaths.

Quinn felt her mama embrace her from behind, and she melted into her embrace. She whispered, "I love you, mama."

"I love you too, baby girl. Your mom and I are going to see Rachel. I need you to go with Noah and Lauren to the cafeteria, and get something to eat," she squeezed the teen tighter when she felt the teen start to pull away, "I need you to stay strong and healthy, for Rachel, for me, and for your mom, not just for you, please?"

Quinn felt some of her mama's strength flow into her. It was not the time to deal with her own pain; she had to be strong for her family. She wiped her eyes, and felt her mother kiss the top of her head, "Alright, mama. We'll go eat, but I'm going to bring you and mommy back some soup, sandwiches, and coffee," she finished stubbornly.

Brittany smiled into her feisty girl's pink hair, "That's a deal. Then you can go back into the room and see Rachel with me or your mom."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Detective Reina Sanchez waited until Brittany was out of earshot, "Rachel?"

Santana grimaced painfully, "She's still alive. She's in a coma."

"Lo siento, mi amiga."

Santana turned away; she didn't want to cry in front of her friend.

Her friend understood, and continued gruffly, "Adams Sr. brought his kid into the station to turn himself in. They had a lawyer with them."

"Of course he did, piece of shit!"

"According to the lawyer, Adams Jr. can put Hudson away for a very long time. It might be enough to make Hudson talk, that means the girls won't need to go to trial."

"He wants to deal!" Santana growled, "Motherfucking scumbag, my daughter is nearly dead, and he is going to sit there and cry and beg for a deal."

"I know, San"

Fierce black eyes stared at her friend with barely suppressed hostility, "You know, Reina, really? You know what it feels like to have your baby sexually assaulted, not once, but twice, to have her be brutally strangled, and be on life support? You know what it's like to have a doctor tell you she is still alive and that's the best news he's got?" She practically screamed in her face.

Reina took a step back, as everyone in the room looked up at Santana's loud comments. She held her hands up in agreement, "I have no idea what that feels like, Santana. I'm so sorry; it was a stupid thing to say to anyone, let alone a friend."

Santana waved off Brittany, and looked at her friend ashamed, "No, I'm sorry. I'm a little wound up right now."

"If it could spare the girls a long, drawn-out, public, trial?" Reina said carefully.

"Well, let him sit his ass in jail, and think about what he's done. I want him locked up away from fucking Hudson. Don't let them talk to each other. I need to take care of my family. We can talk deals after Rachel is better."

"Consider it done. If you need anything, and I mean anything! I got your back," Reina said passionately.

Santana looked over at the group huddled in the corner of the waiting room, "Actually there is something you can do for me."

"Like I said anything."

"Quinn's best friend, the brunette juvenile delinquent in the corner, I love the kid like my own. Her old man is a mean drunk. She needs somewhere to stay. Can she take your spare room for a while? She can't go into a group home or facility. It would literally kill her."

"Yeah, of course."

Santana nodded, "Thanks, Britt and I are focusing on Rachel and Quinn right now. I just can't abandon Mack, she stopped Adams when he was forcing Rachel to do that stuff on tape."

"I know who she is. I got it handled. You don't worry about a thing."

"She isn't going to like going with you, but tell her if Brittany gets involved she's dead meat. That should motivate her; all the kids are intimidated by my badass baby."

"As well they should be," she said smirking, "I know who wears the pants in this family, Lopez!"

"Lopez-Pierce, and don't forget it."

The two friends hugged gingerly, and parted quickly. It was not in their combined natures to be overly emotional or outwardly affectionate, but they cared deeply for each other.

The nurse came out, and cleared her throat, "I can take you back now."

Brittany sprinted towards Santana. She extended her pinky in their long used intimate gesture. Santana linked it with her own, and turned to look at Quinn, "I love you, mi Corazon. It will all be fine."

Brittany looked at her oldest daughter, "I love you, baby. Go eat with Noah and Lauren. I'll see you soon."

"Kiss Rachel for me, tell her I love her," Quinn said bravely.

"We will, mija."

Reina looked at the two women, "Do what you have to do. I'll stay here with them. I'm not leaving."

Brittany extended her hand, and gripped Reina's forearm, "Thank you so much. I'm worried about all of them."

"I know, but I got it covered. So you two just worry about Rachel right now."

"Come on, B. Let's go love our baby back to health."

Brittany gave her wife a stunning smile filled with such love and devotion; it nearly shattered Santana's fragile heart, "Let's go do just that my love."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**To be continued….**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N – I don't own Glee or the characters**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters. I'm not a doctor, so even though I researched this, I am not an expert by any means. I don't own any of the songs referenced either.**_

_**Thanks to everyone for the alerts, favorites, and comments. **_

Chapter 18

Brittany and Santana walked towards their injured daughter's bedside. Rachel looked even worse than the nurse prepared them for. The extreme bruising and swelling around her face and throat were hard to bear, the ventilator was scary, but the fact that Rachel was lying still for the first time in her short life was nearly unbearable for her parents. She was never still; the girl was the definition of kinetic energy. It was terrifying, and the sight stopped both women in their tracks.

The tall blonde, trying to be strong for her wife, was finding it hard to stifle her tears. She put both hands over her mouth, as an unintentional sob escaped. Santana turned and quickly pulled her wife into her arms, knowing the tremors she felt were her own. They felt as helpless and paralyzed as their youngest daughter looked.

Santana led Brittany to Rachel's bedside. She pulled up a chair for her to sit in, and big blue eyes looked to her wife for direction.

The Latina smiled lovingly, and leaned over and kissed Rachel's forehead tenderly, "I'm so proud of you, hija. It would have been so easy to just give up, but it's not your way. So, you need to keep fighting. This family needs you. You make us whole. We are all here for you, so you just keep fighting until you can come back to us. That's a direct order, and you know what happens when you disobey a direct order, right hija?" She gently brushed the hair off her forehead, and kissed her again, softly and with great emotion, "Te amo, mi bebé," she choked out, her voice cracking.

Brittany took her daughter's hand, and kissed it tenderly, "You really gave me quite a scare, baby girl. I'm right here; mommy is here, Quinn, Lauren, and Noah are here, and you are still here with us. I don't want you to worry about anything except getting better. We love you so much, angel. Please don't leave us, Rachel. We need you here with us," she kissed the palm of Rachel's palm, and lightly placed it against her wet cheek.

"You know what's really strange, babe?" Santana whispered to her wife, "When I kissed her head, I just knew she was going to be fine. I'm no psychic, but I just felt it as surely as I knew the sun would rise tomorrow morning. It's strange, but I just _know_!" She shifted uncomfortably; the brunette was not one for feelings. As a DA, she did rely on her instincts, and she trusted hers about Rachel.

Brittany smiled reassuringly at Santana, "That makes me feel better. I know your instincts are rock solid. We'll just give her time to heal, and all the support she needs."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Reina Sanchez sat on an orange plastic chair, in the hospital cafeteria. Clearly, Quinn and her friend Mack were not emotional eaters. They were just pushing the food around their plates in silence. The detective smiled slightly at the sight of the teenage boy with the Mohawk shoveling food into his mouth. He was an eating machine. It was a fond smile, as the teen reminded her of her youngest brother.

She looked at the two girls. Her instincts as a detective were warring with the maternal instincts she earned as the oldest of five children. She had helped her single mother care for her siblings so her mami could hold down two jobs. Reina decided they needed more TLC than tough love right now.

"Come on ladies, you really need to try to eat something. It's going to be tough going until our little diva wakes up. We all need to stay healthy so we can support Britt, San, and Rachel."

Quinn's hazel eyes snapped up at the word, diva. She had heard that word used to wound Rachel in school by peers jealous of her. She relaxed when she saw only love, support, and some gentle teasing in the dark eyes of her mother's best friend. The teen nodded, and tried to choke down the burger she chose.

Reina watched Quinn struggle, "How about some soup and a grilled cheese sandwich? I don't know about you, but I can't eat this crap. I don't even know why i picked it. I need some comfort food."

"Can I just get a milkshake, I'm really afraid of throwing up when I see Rach?" Quinn asked solemnly.

She watched as Mack snuck her hand into Quinn's, and squeezed it in silent support. Her dark eyes narrowed suspiciously when she saw Quinn acknowledge Mack with a small smile and squeezed back. Reina wondered if something was going on between the two teenage girls. Santana hadn't mentioned it, but then again they had a boatload of terrible things going on lately, "Of course, hon. Go get whatever you think you can keep down. That goes for all of you."

Puck grunted, and pulled Quinn and Mack's plates in front of him when they left the table to find something else to eat, "Don't worry, food doesn't go to waste much around me."

Reina laughed out loud. It was the first time in a while, and it felt good to be able to laugh, "Help yourself, Puck. If you're still hungry, we can get more for you. Can I ask you something?"

Puck shrugged as he tucked into Quinn's burger, "Sure, go ahead?"

"Is something going on between Quinn and Mack?"

Puck looked up at the detective, and snorted, "You get right to the point, don't you?" He smiled, "You remind me a lot of Mrs. LP. I can see why you guys are friends," he put the burger back on the plate, and wiped his hands and face with a paper napkin, "Mack has it bad for Q. I think with all the crap that Q has been dealing with this year, she's kinda clueless. Even when Finn wanted to be her boyfriend, I had a feeling it was more about popularity, than being attracted to him. In my opinion, Q's a lady lover, but it hasn't occurred to her yet."

Reina studied the teenage boy in front of her. At first glance, he seemed like just another punk. She'd seen her share of punks in her career.

"What?" He squirmed a little uncomfortably under her scrutiny, "I got something hanging out of my nose?"

She snorted, "No, but I am starting to see what Santana and Brittany see in you. You're very insightful; you ever considered a career in law enforcement?"

This time Puck snorted, "Me and cops don't get along so well."

"Yeah, I still don't get along with 'em," she smiled at the teenager, "that's why you'd be good at it. You know both sides of the law. It's hard to clean pools for a living, especially in Ohio. Just think about it. If you want to talk or ask questions, I'm here."

"Thanks," he smiled back at her, thinking about what she said, "you're ok, ya know."

"For a cop?" she teased.

He laughed, "No, for an older chick," the two just smirked at each other. Puck went back to eating like he was starving.

"Older chick?" she grumbled, "I ought to kick your ass for that."

Reina waited until the girl's finished their milkshakes, and Puck finally finished inhaling everything in sight. She took them back upstairs to the waiting room. She knew it was going to be a long night for everyone. Reina knew she was not going to get Quinn to leave the hospital, and she had very little hope of Puck and Mack leaving without her.

It had been over two hours, when Santana came out to get Quinn. All three of the kids, and Reina sat up quickly when they saw her come out of the electronic doors. Mack was holding Quinn's hand on one side, and Puck holding her other hand. Santana smiled at the trio fondly. She was just happy that Quinn had such good friends.

She walked over to speak to Reina quietly. They all watched as Reina nodded in deep concentration.

"I wish I knew what they were talking about," Quinn grumbled, "I always feel left out of everything lately. I mean fuck, even you knew about Rach and Adams before I did."

"I only knew cause I was skipping class again," Mack whispered, "I heard some strange noises, went to check, and stumbled across them, sorry," she said apologetically.

Quinn sighed, "No, I'm sorry. I am so glad you were there for her. I just feel like I let her down so much. I didn't say anything about Finn. I went out to the car, and let her go to the rest room alone. If I had been with her…"

"You would probably both be in the ICU right now," Santana cut in firmly.

"Mommy, I didn't see you there," Quinn jumped.

"Look, all three of you," she made eye contact with the teenagers, "this is Azimio Adam's fault. He attacked Rachel because he was desperate to get his phone back. He knew it held the evidence of his sexual assault against her, and he attacked her to get it back. Rachel needs us all to pull together, and support her. We need to help her get well, until she can help herself. Is that understood?" She nodded when all three teens agreed with her.

She led Quinn away from Mack and Puck to talk privately, "I love you, and I know you are hurting. I don't want to hear any more about who did what, and who didn't do what. Once Rachel is awake, and back on her feet we can deal with these feelings we have; anger, fear, guilt, pain, shame," Santana took her oldest in her arms, and kissed the top of her head, "Your mama and I haven't forgotten that Finn Hudson raped you. We haven't forgotten what you dealt with for an entire year by yourself. We are not abandoning you. It's all going to be alright. Reina has a friend who counsels rape survivors, not victims, survivors. You are strong, brave, and a survivor. She's has an office here at the hospital. You are going to start talking to her right away," Santana added firmly.

Quinn was blinking back tears, basking in the love and support of her mother. She didn't want to talk about Finn and what happened, so she started to pull away, "I don't need counseling, mommy. Rachel is the important one right now."

"Both of you are equally important to your mama and me. The only difference between you in my eyes, is you are my oldest child, and Rachel is my youngest child. This is not a suggestion, Quinn Cordelia. You are going to start to see her starting tomorrow. You are still going to be able to be with Rachel, she needs all of us. I'm only talking about spending an hour a day with her. Either your mama or I will be with you all the time, baby. You can still spend time with Rachel, and then you have to get some sleep and some food. Your mama and I talked about it. We are going to take turns, being with you and Rachel."

"No, no…" she pulled out of Santana's arms, "what if something happens while you are with me? What if Rachel needs mama when she is with me? This is wrong; I don't want you to focus on me. I'm fine. I've dealt with what happened that night with Finn," she was starting to get hysterical, and pushing away from her mother.

"So ok that you can't even say the word, rape? You're not ok, kiddo. You are bearing all this guilt and shame, and you need to deal with it. I dropped the ball, baby girl. I handled this all wrong. I'm not doing that anymore. I've dealt with a lot of rape survivors in court, and they all feel like they aren't worth all the attention being paid to them. I should have been on this as soon as your behavior changed a year ago. Your mama and I are the parents and what we say goes," she saw Quinn pulling away emotionally, "I was thinking we could get a hotel room, right across the street. That way we are only a few minutes away in case something happens. Will that help, if we are physically close to Rachel?"

Quinn knew her mother. She was solid as a rock, and once she made up her mind she was unshakeable, "I hate to leave Rachel, mommy. Do we have to?"

"We do, mija. We all have to get sleep, and take care of ourselves. We're not arguing about this, Quinn. Your mama and I talked about it. It's settled. No more discussion, is that understood?"

"Yes, mommy."

"Good, we need to stick together until Rachel wakes up," she placed her fingers under Quinn's chin, and lifted it so she could see her eyes, "and she is going to wake up, mija. I can feel it. Then these bastards better watch out for the Lopez-Pierce women, because we are going to make them pay," she hugged her daughter to her chest, and kissed the top of her head, "Are you ready to see your sister now?"

"I am, but I'm scared. I feel like I might get sick or something. I feel so terrible about what happened to her," she admitted softly.

"I was so scared, I was shaking. It is hard to see her like that. She looks worse than the nurse and doctor described. It's scary. If you can't see her yet, it's ok, mija," Santana ran her fingers through Quinn's short, choppy hair. Since birth, it was one of the few ways to calm her down.

"No, I'm scared but I want to see her. I _need_ to see her," she said definitively.

"Ok, mija. I'll take you in to see your sister," she took her daughter's pale hand in her own tanned one. She lifted it and kissed it, "Ready?"

Quinn looked even more pale than normal, but her eyes' were shining with love and strength, "as I'll ever be!"

"Good girl. Let's go!"

Santana led her oldest daughter down the hallway to Rachel's room. The room was dimly lit, but Quinn could see her mama sitting next to her sister. Brittany turned in her seat to acknowledge her oldest daughter, just as Quinn's eyes adjusted to the light. Her hazel eyes danced over her sister's prone body, taking in the bruises, the respirator, and the swelling. It didn't even look like Rachel. The hissing and clicking of the respirator was the only sound in the room. A plaintive wail broke free from Quinn, as she fell almost in slow motion. Her knees just gave out on her. Santana caught her in her arms, as Brittany ran towards her stricken oldest.

As a family, they held their oldest girl in their loving embrace as she sobbed. They were all sitting on the floor of Rachel's room. Brittany stroked Quinn's hair, and comforted her the best way she knew how. In her opinion, it was a real breakthrough. Her wife and oldest daughter always kept everything bottled up inside. She was glad they were with Quinn to comfort her.

Eventually Quinn stopped crying, and Brittany led her exhausted daughter to the waiting room. She was surprised to see Mack, Puck, and Reina sleeping in the waiting room. She looked at her watch, it was so late.

"Go back with Rachel, mama. I'll just curl up here and sleep. I'll stay with Detective Reina, I promise."

Brittany sighed, and nodded, "Come get me or your mom if you need us. Promise?" She leaned forward, and kissed the girl on the cheek.

"I promise!"

Reina woke up, yawning and stretching, "Is everything alright with Rachel?"

Quinn went and sat next to her mom's best friend. Brittany looked at Reina, "Rachel is the same, which in this case is actually good news. You'll keep an eye on Quinn for us?"

"Of course, as if she were my own kid, just like I'm keeping my eye on these hooligans," she winked at Quinn. The punk haired, quiet, reserved teen actually smiled back. Reina felt like Quinn was starting to trust her, "Go back with San and Rachel, I have things handled out here."

"Thank you, Reina. It means so much to me and San, that we have someone we trust helping with Quinn. She's trying to be so strong, just like her mommy but she is struggling with this. In the case of Lauren and Noah, no one seems to give a damn about them."

"Don't worry about anything, Brittany. Really, San is like family to me, that means you, and the kids, all of them are like family. I got it covered. I don't think I can get them to go anywhere tonight, but tomorrow we'll figure out a longer term plan."

Brittany just nodded; she was so close to crying. It seemed she was living at the edge of her emotions these days. She walked over, and kissed Quinn. She walked over, and smoothed Lauren's hair from her forehead. She ran her hand through Puck's Mohawk and chuckled. All three of them were so tough in their own eyes, but in hers they were just kids. Kids who had seen way more than they ever should have at their age. She went back to Santana and Rachel.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn woke up. She had a vaguely unsettled feeling lingering from a dream she had, but she couldn't remember it. She was thirsty, and needed the restroom. She didn't want to wake up Reina, so she told the receptionist on duty she was going to the bathroom. Quinn was restless and not feeling herself. She needed to see Rachel, and she needed her mothers. She was surprised when no one stopped her as she walked the empty halls to her sister's room. She tiptoed into the dark room. Her moms were sleeping curled up together on a large lounge chair next to the bed.

She walked over to the other side of Rachel's bed. She slipped her shoes off, and crawled very carefully into bed next to her sister. Quinn was very careful not to disturb any of the tubes going in or coming out of her sister. She held her uninjured hand, the one without the IV in it, scooted over as close to Rachel as she could get, and placed her head on her shoulder. She whispered gently, "Hey, Rach. I'm sorry about everything. I can't believe it's you lying here so quiet. Remember when you used to sneak into my bed at night? You were all squirmy like a brand new puppy. You need to wake up soon. I miss you," Quinn started to cry quietly, "I don't even know why we fought so much. I've always loved you. I was so stupid. I wish I could take it all back. You were such a big pain in the ass though," she chuckled at the memory, "all those tantrums, and diva storm outs! You deserved every spanking you ever got, troublemaker. Remember when you convinced me to run away with you? You got hungry right away, and sat down on the curb and cried and refused to walk anymore. I was so mad at you. We got in so much trouble. You are such a brat! I miss that though, all your outbursts. It used to make me so angry, but now it just seems adorable. I'm sure in a few months, I'll just find it infuriating again. That will be ok though, cause you'll be awake, and driving me crazy again."

She got quiet for a few minutes. She was humming under her breath, "Remember when mama used to sing that song to us, Rach? I still remember all the words. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when the skies are grey, you'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away!" She laughed softly, "Mama was so crazy. She used to change the color grey to purple, red, blue, pink, and then all those crazy colors like chartreuse, periwinkle, and rainbow. You used to stamp your foot, and insist she sing it correctly. Then she would blow raspberries on your belly, until you gave up and laughed. It was so easy back then. I don't know when it all got so hard."

She snuggled closer to her sister, "I'm the oldest, but I need you so much. Please don't leave me, Rach. Come back to me, to us. I can't face Finn in court without you there holding my hand. I can't walk down the aisle without my maid of honor. I can't have my first baby without her Aunt Rach there. I can't hear music without thinking of you. Please Fidget, try. I can't live without my sister, my best friend by my side. I know we fought all the time lately, but I love you so much. I just want a chance to tell you that in person. Mama needs you so much. You're her baby. I used to love teasing you for being the baby. Mommy needs you. She's so hurt and angry, she tries to hide it, but you know how protective she is. How crazy she gets when she can't fix everything? She doesn't know how to fix this, Rach. I think only you can fix it, baby girl. I'm clueless."

Quinn shivered, and pulled the blankets carefully up over her and her sister. She yawned a jaw cracking yawn, "God, Rach I'm so tired. I miss you, baby sister. Please wake up soon."

She picked her head up, and kissed Rachel sweetly on an uninjured part of her cheek, "Now, I am going to do something, and if you ever tell anyone I did it, I'll deny it until the day I die. I'm going to sing Barbra for you. I figure one of two things is going to happen. One it will be so terrible and sacrilegious you will wake up and yell at me, or it will be soothing to you and help you heal. Either way; I win!"

Quinn started to sing People from Funny Girl. It was soft, and heartfelt. The lyrics said everything Quinn needed her sister to hear, "People, people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world.  
We're children needing other children, and yet letting our grown-up pride, hide all the need inside,  
acting more like children than children," she yawned again, "What? No righteous indignation that I sang Barbra? Fine, I'll try again tomorrow, but I'm not quitting until you get up out of that bed. I love you, and I'm not giving up on you, Rach."

The teen was drifting off to sleep when she started chuckling, "I just remembered something. Remember the movie, Ghost? When Patrick Swayze sang that awful song to Whoopi Goldberg? You said if anyone ever sang that awful song to you, you would find a way to come back from the dead, so you could kill them for singing it!" she smothered her laughter by pressing her face against Rachel's shoulder, "That's it! I'm an evil genius. I'm going to sing Henry the Eighth to you until you quit being stubborn and lazy and wake up," she wiggled down in the bed until she was comfortable. Carefully placing her hand protectively on Rachel's stomach, she fell asleep with a smile on her face. Her mommy was right. Rachel was going to wake up, she just knew it.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**To be continued… please review…**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N – I don't own Glee or the characters**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters. I'm not a doctor, so even though I researched this, I am not an expert by any means. **_

_**Thanks to everyone for the alerts, favorites, and comments. They absolutely mean the world to me!**_

_**Chapter 19**_

Quinn sat across from Janie Forbes glaring at the young therapist. She had seen her every day for the last two weeks at the hospital. Her mom had been true to her word. They stayed at a hotel across from the hospital. One day her mama stayed with her, and the next day her mom, but every day she went to counseling before visiting Rachel. Quinn liked and respected Janie for the most part, it was counseling she didn't like. She didn't see how talking about the rape was supposed to solve anything. Still, Janie was smart, sensitive, and caring. She had just suggested a daily tutor to keep Quinn current with her school work, hence the glare.

Quinn crossed her arms, and wiggled down in Janie's comfortable chair, rebelliousness coming off her in waves. Janie tried not to smile. She had known Detective Sanchez for a few years, and had met Prosecutor Lopez-Pierce on a few occasions. She had seen the same stubborn streak in the mother that she now saw in her daughter.

Clearing her throat, to prevent her from laughing and insulting the teenager in front of her she tried to explain her reasoning, "Listen, Quinn. I understand that reading, writing, and arithmetic are the furthest things from your mind right now, I do. I know all your energy is reserved for your family, for Rachel. Then on top of that, you're mother has pretty much forced you into counseling. It's a lot to deal with. The events of the last year have had to have left you feeling helpless, and out of control. I get that I really do, but why should these people who have hurt you and Rachel prevent you from keeping up with your class? Why should they be allowed to interfere with your education?" She could see Quinn processing the information, "Why don't you tell me why you object to a tutor?"

Quinn pondered the question seriously. Why exactly did she object? It also occurred to her that hardly anyone had asked her opinion about anything for at least a year or so. She sat up quickly and told Janie Forbes just that.

"You act as if that just occurred to you that no one has asked your opinion about anything for the last year or so. Is that accurate?"

"Well, it did just occur to me. I don't even know why I didn't notice before," Quinn mused.

"Really," Janie probed, "something must have been taking all your attention for the last year. What do you think that could have been?"

"Because of that fucking Finn Hudson!" Quinn exclaimed, surprised with her own lack of insight.

"Because you've spent the last year protecting your sister from Finn Hudson," Janie corrected softly.

Quinn seemed to sink into herself, "I've spent the last year fighting with Rachel, insulting her, belittling her, and irritating her just because it's fun to see her get all pissed off. Not the great and noble sister you are making me out to be."

The young therapist burst out laughing. She quickly tried to cover it, but not quickly enough. Quinn's temper, the Lopez temper flared like a match to gunpowder.

"I'm glad you find my guilt so fucking funny! My sister is lying in the ICU in a coma for fuck's sake, because I kept my mouth shut! I was more worried about my own ass then my sister's safety!" Quinn was practically screaming. She was so angry she was shaking. All her guilt, all her shame just came pouring out of her.

Janie bit her bottom lip as she studied Quinn carefully. It was starting to make the teen uncomfortable. Her rage dissipated quickly, and her shame took over. She broke away from the angry staring contest she had been engaging in with Janie. She closed her eyes, and slumped over in her seat, picking at her thumbnail. It was a habit she had since childhood, and unbeknown to her, a sure sign to her mothers' she was feeling guilty about something.

"Quinn, look at me please?" Janie waited until Quinn reluctantly stopped picking at her fingers, and met her glance, "I want to apologize for laughing the way I did. I think you misunderstood me."

"I misunderstood you, how?" Quinn said icily.

"I don't know Rachel at all, and I hope she wakes up soon. I think your whole family needs a decent break. I hope it happens soon," Janie sighed, "I laughed because I have a younger sister myself. I love her more than I can tell you. I've defended her all my life against others, and I would die for her. At the same time, we torture each other every time we see each other, even as adults. It was crazy when we were kids. I can't tell you the trouble we used to get into fighting with each other. It's just part of the dynamic we have with each other. I guess I was remembering all the fights I've had with my own sister. I laughed out of turn, and I am so sorry I upset you."

The room was quiet for a few minutes, as Janie watched Quinn visibly relax. She saw how deeply ashamed Quinn was of her own behavior, and wondered how far she should push her to talk today. She wanted to tell her that she behaved like every other rape survivor she had ever met in her career. No one wanted to talk about it initially, and all of them felt guilty. She was still really getting to know Quinn Lopez-Pierce. She personally liked the girl very much. She was strong willed, brutally honest, and had a lot of character, but the therapist thought the girl wore more than a few masks. Janie was convinced the girl was a bit more fragile than she let on. They had only been working together for a mere two weeks, and the therapist didn't want to push her to hard. She wanted Quinn to reach her own conclusions about things, with Janie merely steering things along. Pushing her too hard could be disastrous. She decided not to push just yet. They had time enough, and Quinn had a lot going on with Rachel still in a coma.

"I guess all sisters fight. We do love each other. I love her so much. I guess we are just very different, personality-wise," Quinn smiled just a little bit, "We are real sisters, we share the same DNA from my mothers' sperm donor. My mama, Brittany carried me, and my mom, Santana carried Rachel."

The therapist let Quinn continue her train of thought.

"Rachel is very excitable. She stamps her foot, and throws these temper tantrums. I shouldn't find them funny, and sometimes I don't, sometimes they drive me up the wall. My moms' NEVER find them funny. She gets in more trouble over those tantrums. We call them her diva storm outs. She really is something when she gets all worked up. I'll tell you one thing; Rachel will stop at nothing when she feels she's right about something. She can't stand to see injustice. It's really irritating, but she is fearless," Quinn snorted out a laugh. She was quiet for a minute, deep in thought.

"It sounds like you admire her?"

"Two weeks ago I would have told you she's just an idiot. When I realized she almost died, it hurt so badly. I love her so much, and yes, I do admire her. How can you love someone so much, and not even know?"

Janie considered that for a minute, "I think it's just human nature. We take things, and people for granted until it's too late. When Rachel wakes up, and starts to recover from her injuries; you might see this time as a great gift. There are people who have lived a lot longer than you have, and have not learned that lesson yet."

"You seem so sure she's going to get better."

"Aren't you?"

Quinn shrugged, "I was, my mothers are, but it's been two weeks…."

"Your mother told me she was off the respirator and breathing on her own. That's a big step towards recovery. Don't give up, Quinn. I think the power of love is very healing. Your sister is surrounded by people who love her night and day. From what you tell me, Rachel is very strong. I think if anyone can survive all of this, she can."

Quinn's eyes filled with tears, and she nodded, "It's just hard seeing her lying so still. Rachel is constant movement. She never sits still, not even when she's sleeping. She hasn't moved on her own. It's hard to see."

"It could be the medicine Rachel is on. If you are that upset about it, you could ask your mothers' or a nurse if that is the case. Being on a respirator is hard, and the doctors don't want the patients to get agitated so they give them medicine to keep them still."

"I didn't know that. That actually makes sense, and makes me feel better," Quinn gave the therapist a little smile; her first in two weeks that wasn't completely fake.

"Well, I don't know if that is the case for Rachel. You can always talk to your moms' about your concerns. I think they would love for you to come to them, and open up a little bit. If you're comfortable, try it. From what I've seen of both your moms' they are strong women. You are a strong young woman. Showing feelings and emotions is not weak, it takes courage and strength. That's why it is so hard to do."

Quinn gave the therapist a look that Janie had come to understand was the teen processing information. She was a very intelligent young woman, and she had a lot of restraint. She wasn't overly spontaneous, she considered things before she spoke or did anything. It was also a sign of maturity, but Janie felt Quinn took it too far. It was limiting her, and Janie wondered if it was another change since the rape.

"Quinn, may I ask you to do something you might consider highly personal?"

The hazel-eyes danced with laughter, "Isn't that why we're here?"

"Touché," the therapist acknowledged with a smile, "I want to give you an assignment. I really want you to put some thought into it. I want you to keep a journal, for your eyes only. I will only hear what you want me to hear, so you are free to be completely honest with yourself."

"What do you want me to write in it?"

There was that cautious nature again, "I want you to look back over the last year, since the attack by Finn, and write about all the changes you've made since then. I want you to dig deep. Obviously as your mothers' stated in the first session; your looks have changed. I want you to look deeper. List what's changed physically, emotionally, and mentally. What about your habits, are you more cautious, or are you more reckless? Are you frightened at the thought of sex, or are you freer with sex? Remember this is for you. There is no judgment, no right or wrong. Everyone deals with rape differently. I want you to look at who you really are. It's easy to forget that after an attack like you survived."

"You want me to share it with you?"

"You are in complete control of that, Quinn. I would like you to feel free to trust me with some of it. I want you to understand that I care about you, and like you as a person. Nothing you write could ever change that. Still, what you choose to share is entirely up to you. The goal of this exercise is for you to see the parts of you that have changed. Sometimes it's for the best, but sometimes those changes can be hurtful to you. I want you to be aware of what those changes are," she held her hand up to stop Quinn from speaking; "You may think that nothing has changed inside. Believe me, every rape survivor tells me the same thing. Maybe in your case it's true, but at least honor yourself enough to look carefully."

"What I say is confidential? You won't share anything with my mothers'?"

Janie nodded, "Like I told you in our first meeting; I'm obligated by law to share if I feel you are a danger to yourself or others. Other than that, whatever you say in this room is completely confidential."

"Ok, I'll do it."

Janie got up from her chair and walked to a filing cabinet in the corner of her office, "You can start with this if you like. It's a workbook that has some prompts, or guides to help you get started. It was written by a rape survivor. It's just a suggestion. You can write whatever you like."

Quinn accepted the red workbook from her therapist, "rather an aggressive color for an introspective journal, don't you think?"

Janie laughed out loud, "I hadn't thought of that before, but yes it is."

Quinn smiled back genuinely amused for the second time today.

"One last comment from me, you are worth the time you spend on yourself," Janie smiled at her, "Now, tell me why you don't want a tutor."

Quinn sighed, "Oh God, you never give up, do you?"

"Nope, I never give up, and as long as I have a say in things you won't either. You are as good a person as Rachel is. You are as strong, as brave, and as stubborn as your sister is. I can honestly say, you are one of the most intelligent teenagers I've worked with. I know you don't believe it, but you are all those things. Together, you and I will sort through what you've been through this last year. Not going to lie to you, it will be hard, it might even seem harder than the actual rape, but it will be worth it. You'll be free from the pain of the past, and you will know the truth about yourself. Knowing the truth and being in peace about it can't be overrated."

"We'll see, but you'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you," Quinn scoffed at the therapist.

"We will see, and your thoughts and feelings are your own. They aren't right or wrong, they just are. So, our time is up for this session. Thanks for being so open with me. You've done great work this session. You should be very proud of yourself."

Quinn shrugged, "Whatever," she stood up, "you can tell my parents about the tutor. I'll do it. I don't want to have to think about stupid school at a time like this, but it will at least give my mothers' one less thing to worry about right now."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany was in Rachel's room fussing over her youngest daughter. She glanced at the clock on the wall, and saw that Quinn's session was just about over.

"Quinn and mom will be up soon, Rach. So let's finish up our physical therapy, shall we?" Brittany spoke conversationally.

She had taken over keeping Rachel's muscles moving. The doctors and physical therapist had spoken them about muscle atrophy, and the importance of working her leg, arm, and neck muscles. Since Brittany had been a professional dancer, they had shown her how to perform many of the exercises. She had been diligent about it since getting the ok from Rachel's doctor to proceed. It made Brittany feel better. She had a task to perform that was helping her daughter. She didn't feel so helpless and weak now.

Brittany pulled back the covers, and started to gently pull and bend Rachel's legs, stretching them gently as she spoke, "Detective Reina has taken Lauren in to stay with her. I bet you can imagine how thrilled Lauren is about that. I told her if she didn't behave herself and get to school every single day she would answer to me. So far she has been behaving herself. Noah has been here to see you every single day as well. I told him, he couldn't visit you unless he was at school as well. He grumbled and complained, but he has been showing up every single day with a signed note from Miss Pillsbury regarding his perfect attendance," she laughed merrily, "I didn't even tell him he had to do that. He must be very anxious to see you, sweetheart. All right now, right leg done; let's move to the left leg," she patted Rachel's leg gently and moved to the other side of the bed.

"Quinn would be sleeping here at your side every night if you mom hadn't forced her to go and get some sleep. We've been sleeping at the hotel across the street. I think they're getting a little stir crazy at that hotel, you know your mom and Quinn. I think I'm going to let Quinn sleep here with you tonight. She's been missing you something awful. She needs you to wake up and fight with her, I think."

Brittany grabbed the skin lotion from the bedside table, "I'm going to go and try to get some sleep when you mom gets here. I think I might use the hotel gym, and run on the treadmill. I think I'm getting out of shape," the blonde mother gently rubbed lotion onto both of Rachel's feet, before putting the hospital booties back on her feet, "There you go, baby. You did great with your exercises today," Brittany said proudly as she stood there holding the bottle of lotion.

"It puts the lotion in the basket!" Puck called out from the doorway.

Brittany jumped, and Puck started to apologize profusely, "I'm sorry, Mrs. LP. I didn't mean to startle you!"

Mack slapped him upside the back of his head, "You are such a jerk," she whispered fiercely.

Santana walked in followed by Quinn, "What's going on, who's a jerk?"

Quinn and Mack answered at the same time, "Puck!"

"Hey, no fair ganging up on me!" Puck whined.

Brittany laughed, "It's nothing, Noah just startled me," she walked over and pulled Quinn into a big hug, kissing the top of her head, "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm good, mama. How is Rachel?"

"Rachel had her physical exercises today, so she's a bit tired. All of you go easy on her!" she pointed at the trio of teenagers who nodded at her.

Santana looked at her wife fondly, "Did you eat yet, babe?"

Brittany released Quinn, and took Santana in her embrace, "Not yet, I want you to take me back to the hotel, take a shower with me, and then take me to a restaurant."

"Ewwwww," the teenagers all groaned good-naturedly.

Santana waved off the teenagers, "You are all just jealous!" she smirked when Brittany play slapped her arm and whispered to her not to be inappropriate. She turned and looked at Quinn seriously, "Are you ok, baby? Or do you need me or mama to stay with you for a while?"

Quinn flushed a bright red, "I'm fine, I've got Rach, Mack, and Puck with me. I've got my new journal to write in. I'm good."

Santana turned to Brittany, "Quinn has agreed to a tutor as well," she announced proudly eliciting a groan from her eldest daughter, "What? I'm proud of you!"

Brittany smiled affectionately at her daughter, "So am I! That's awesome, sweetie. There is money in the drawer for dinner. Make sure you try to eat something healthy, all of you. Mom and I will have our phones with us at all times."

"Even in the shower," Puck wiggled his eyebrows lewdly, earning a glare from both mothers', "sorry," he mumbled quickly.

"Babe, Holly called," Santana said to her wife, "I have to stop at the office and sign some very important court papers. Do you want me to go, and you can grab a quick nap? I won't be long."

Brittany kissed her cheek, "I'll go with you, I want to spend time with my beautiful wife today."

Santana beamed from ear to ear. There hadn't been much alone time for the couple, but Santana felt selfish mentioning it. She missed the strength she got from Brittany, "Ok, let's get going then. Quinn, I'll be back after I tuck your mama in tonight. It won't be too late. Your mama and I talked, and you may spend the night here with Rachel if you'd like?"

Quinn smiled happily, "I'd love to. I've missed being here with her. Thanks mom, thanks mama."

Brittany grabbed her jacket, and purse "Lauren, I assume Reina knows where you are?"

"Yes, ma'am," she scowled at Puck when she heard him snicker, "She said she'd come up later. I'm allowed to visit Rachel, and hang with Quinn and numb nuts here!" she said motioning to Puck.

"Language," Brittany rolled her eyes, as she scolded. Lauren and Noah fought like siblings; it was both endearing and annoying. Brittany walked over kissing all the teenagers good night.

Santana put her arm around her wife, "You three behave yourselves, try to remember this is a hospital," she teased, "call us if you need anything, comprende?"

"We will, get some rest. I'll take care of Rach until you get back," Quinn quickly assured her mothers'.

Santana winked at her oldest as she turned to her wife, "come on beautiful, let's go gets some alone time on!"

Brittany blushed when the teenagers laughed, "You're such a charmer. Goodnight, love you guys! Behave!"

The teenagers responded with their love and goodbyes as well.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck had agreed to make a run for pizza and salads, since the girls couldn't stomach the thought of hospital food yet again. He knew a decent place not too far away, so Quinn called in the order, and he ran to pick it up.

Mack sat back and watched Quinn talk to Rachel. She wanted to give her some space, so she went into the waiting room and called Reina.

"Hey, Mack. Everything OK?"

"Yeah, I'm at the hospital with Q and Rachel. I wanted to give her some alone time with Rach so I called you to check in."

"I appreciate that, thanks. How are the Lopez-Pierce girls today?"

Mack thought for a minute before answering, "Rachel looks a little better, I think. The bruises are healing, she still has some sick looking green and purple areas on her throat and cheek, but her color is better. I think she looks better since they took her off the breathing machine. Q was in therapy, and she is usually quiet for a while after that, but she seemed happy today."

Reina smiled to herself, "that's all great news! Where's Puck? I thought you were riding to the hospital with him?"

"That's another reason I called. Puck ran out to grab pizza and salads, so you don't need to think about picking up dinner for me tonight."

"Ok, thanks for letting me know. Getting sick of hospital food, eh?" Reina laughed.

"No shit, it's not too bad, but not every day. Mrs. And Mrs. LP went out to dinner together. I'm glad they got a chance to get out of here for a while. They left the three of us to look after Rach."

"Good, how was school today? You have any homework?" Reina asked maternally. She heard Mack growl under her breath, and smiled. She was walking a fine line between being a friend, and a responsible guardian. The teen was adjusting well, but she still resisted authority of any kind.

The detective cleared her throat, "Mack, homework?"

"Uh, I uh…"

"The truth would be nice, Mack," Reina said sternly.

"I was thinking," the teen snapped, "I did some at school, actually I did most of it at school. I have to read a book for English. It just got assigned today, so I'm not behind or anything."

"Good, I'll check your homework when I get to the hospital."

"That's not necessary. I'm not lying to you," Mack said defensively.

"I didn't think you were lying, kiddo. My Mamí always used to check my homework every night when she got home from work…."

"You aren't my mom. My mother is dead to me," Mack said angrily, "I don't need another one."

Reina sighed sadly, "I know that, Mack. I'm not trying to be your mom, but while you live with me you follow my rules. One of those rules is attending school every single day, and doing your homework. You're a smart girl, don't waste it!"

"Fine," Mack barked, "I make sure it's all done by the time you get here. Can I go now?"

Reina bit back her urge to yell at the girl. She closed her eyes, and counted to ten, "Yes, you can go now."

Mack hung up without saying goodbye. She stalked down to the coffee cart. She hated that she had been so rude to Reina. The woman had given her a warm bed, food, treated her kindly, and had paid for any supplies she needed. It really wasn't Detective Sanchez she was angry with. She was angry at her father, she was angry at her mother, she was angry with the world, but most of all she was angry with herself for needing people. As much as she didn't want to need people, she couldn't help it. Brittany, Santana, Puck, Rachel, Reina, and most of all Quinn; she not only wanted their acceptance, she needed their love. She knew it made her weak, vulnerable, but she couldn't help it. She hated and cursed her own weakness.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana walked into her office, holding hands with Brittany. Her assistant, Holly Holiday had music playing from the radio, as she sat crossed leg on the floor sorting files.

"Wow, the boss is gone for five minutes, and the whole place goes to hell," Santana smirked at her blonde assistant.

Holly laughed merrily, "Hola, el capitán!" She jumped up immediately, "What are you talking about? The real boss is right here!"

Brittany giggled as Santana scowled at her wife, "Don't encourage her, B. What do you have for me to sign? I want to get it done, B and I are starving!"

Holly turned quickly to Brittany, "Want me to order something in?"

"No thank you, Holly. My beautiful bride and I are going to actually go sit down in a restaurant that doesn't have paper napkins."

"Good for you! How are the girls doing?" Holly inquired.

"Rachel is healing really well, since she came off the respirator. Quinn is opening up a little bit more since we got her in counseling."

Holly leaned closer to the other blonde and whispered, "and the boss, how is she holding up?"

"Since we started this new rule having one of us with Quinn at the hotel each night, I really haven't spent as much one on one time with Santana. I wanted to speak to her privately tonight, and find out the answer to that question myself."

"Well, let me know if I can do anything to help, ok?" Holly said conspiratorially.

"Oh Holly," Brittany leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "You taking care of the office for San is taking a whole level of stress off of her. I know she teases you, and gives you grief all the time, but she trusts you like no one else. We both thank you so much, Holly."

"My pleasure, sweet cheeks. Don't you worry about a single thing around here, I got it covered."

Santana came out of her office grumbling, "Holly, where is the Schmidt file? I can't find it anywhere."

Holly walked over and plucked it off of Santana's desktop, "Right here, boss. It's all done except for your signature."

"You are such a fucking showoff!" Santana groused.

Brittany started to laugh, "San," she scolded, "be nice!"

Holly rolled her eyes, "She's such a grump, how do you put up with her?"

"Well, someone has to do it, might as well be me!" Brittany laughed.

Santana stood there glaring at the two blondes, "Can we go eat now, please? If I don't get something to eat, ima cut a bitch!"

"Say goodbye to Holly dear, and a thank you for running the office would be nice," Brittany scolded.

"Goodbye and thank you, Holly," Santana monotoned, "Now, can we eat?"

Holly and Brittany both started laughing, "Yes, Santana we can go eat now," Brittany grabbed Santana's hand, and waved goodbye to Holly with the other hand.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn had been talking to Rachel for the last 45 minutes non-stop. She always sang to her when they were alone. Quinn knew that music was Rachel's life, and her first love. She knew Rachel would love being sung too.

She told her all about therapy, and told Rachel her fears, especially about feeling so alone lately. She shared her guilt, shame, and remorse about everything that had happened in the last year. She laughed about Puck and Mack and all the crazy things they had said and done lately. Quinn told her she loved her, and wished she would just wake up already.

When she was finished, she wiped away the tears that had fallen, that always fell when she talked to Rachel alone, and sat down in the chair to write in her journal.

She looked up when she heard Puck and Mack enter the room, "Where'd you go for that pizza, dude, Italy?"

"Dumbass was sitting in the lobby. He heard you talking to Rachel, and didn't want to interrupt you guys," Mack scoffed, still angry.

Quinn turned her hazel-eyes at the pair, Puck looked embarrassed and Mack looked upset. She met Puck's hazel-eyes, "Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Perfect timing too, I'm starving."

He smiled in gratitude, and set the pizza box and salads on the little bedside table. He walked over and kissed Rachel on the forehead, "Hey Jew babe, how are you doing today?"

Mack walked over and said hello to Rachel as well.

Quinn looked at Mack, "Everything alright? You've been gone a while."

"Yeah, it's just fucking Reina," she growled. The teen walked over to the table and grabbed a slice of pizza, and took a bite.

"I thought Reina was cool?" Quinn asked concerned.

"She is, I guess. She's just being all, my house my rules lately, that's all. It's no big deal, I'm just pissed off since I quit smoking."

"You quit smoking?" Puck asked astonished.

"Her house, her rules," Quinn and Mack said at the same time.

"She doesn't let you smoke?" Quinn laughed.

"Nope, not even a little bit, but she did say she would pay for gum and patches."

"I told you she was cool," Quinn ate some salad, "what else has she done to piss you off?"

"She's a total homework nazi!" Mack grinned, her best friends always made her feel better about things.

They all sat around eating and chatting comfortably as only best friends could do until Reina got there and picked up Mack. Puck went over and kissed Rachel on the cheek, and then kissed Quinn goodbye as well.

Quinn sat there feeling the feeling of absolute aloneness descended on her like a wet, wool blanket. Her fear was smothering her. She never felt like this until Rachel got hurt. She hadn't told her mothers', and she hadn't told her therapist. Quinn hadn't even shared it with Mack. She had only spoken it out loud to Rachel. She decided to write about it. She picked up her pen and her journal, and started baring her soul. It was like opening a vein; she was bleeding feelings all over the page. The girl looked up, and nearly an hour had passed. She was astounded. It had seemed like a few minutes. She hadn't felt afraid once while writing. Maybe therapy could actually be helpful, and not a total pain in the ass.

Quinn packed away her journal in her backpack, kicked off her shoes, and crawled into bed with Rachel. She was fast asleep in a matter of minutes. Quinn never heard her mothers' get back to hospital.

Santana and Brittany were standing at Rachel's bedside. Santana kissed both her girls, and brushed the hair from Quinn's face, "Well if we do nothing else right for the rest of our lives, we make beautiful babies."

Brittany looked down on her beautiful children. It was easy to imagine they were both just sleeping, Her eyes filled with tears, that ran down her face and dripped onto the blanket on the bed, "I'm sorry, I seem to cry so much easier now than I used to."

"Yeah, me too, like just having dinner with you tonight. Taking a shower together, and getting to just be alone together for a few hours, things I used to take for granted. I was close to tears all night long. I love you so much, B. I love the girls so much. I'm going to do everything in my power to keep us all safe."

The blonde reached down, and took her wife's tan hand in her own warm one, "You already do that, San, and we all love you for it. All of this was out of our control. You said yourself, Rachel is going to be fine, I agree. We all are going to be just fine. You are my whole life, you and the girls. I love you more each and every day."

They stood in silence; Brittany letting Santana collect her emotions.

Finally, Santana cleared her throat, "You need to go across the street, and get some real sleep in a real bed. I'll wake up Q."

"No, leave her. They look so peaceful, I think it's doing them both some good."

"What about you, babe?"

"I'll go, but I hate sleeping without my little spoon," she leaned over and kissed her wife passionately, "I'll bring breakfast for you both in the morning. Call me if anything changes," Brittany whispered.

Santana leaned in and brought her lips gently to the blonde's kissing her sweetly, "You know I will. I'll miss you too big spoon. Te adoro, mi amor."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

It was dark and everything hurt. She blinked her eyes rapidly; they were dry and felt like they were filled with sand. She heard a faint beeping, the sound of hushed voices but she had no clue where she was. She tried to turn her head, but a sharp pain in her neck made her stop moving immediately. She was so tired. She felt warmth on her right side, looking over carefully she saw it was her sister. That was strange; they hadn't slept together in a long time. Quinn looked sad, even in her sleep. Rachel wanted to reach over and soothe her, but her muscles didn't want to work right. Instead of moving, she arms jerked, and Quinn opened her eyes.

Quinn was confused, something had woken her up. She looked up at Rachel, moving her head off her little sister's shoulder and was startled to find herself looking into soft brown eyes. She was paralyzed. She carefully licked her lips, and spoke softly, "Rach? Are you awake or am I dreaming?"

Rachel tried to talk but she couldn't seem to make the words, her throat hurt so badly and her mouth was dry. Instead of speaking, she carefully nodded. Quinn's eyes went wide in surprise.

"Sweet baby Jesus, oh my God, oh Rachel, oh my God," she knew she was babbling but she couldn't help it. She leaned over and harshly whispered, "Mommy, mommy…."

Santana groaned loudly from her place on the empty bed in Rachel's room, "Quinn, baby are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Mommy wake up, it's Rachel, wake up!"

Santana jumped out of bed like it was on fire. Her stomach leapt into her throat. She was terrified her baby had died in the night. She quickly pulled the chain that turned on the light over her youngest daughter's bed. She was shocked to see Rachel staring back at her.

"She's awake, mommy, Rachel is awake!" Quinn was sobbing.

Santana couldn't take her eyes from Rachel's, "Honey, sometimes coma patients open their eyes…."

Before she could finish, Rachel frowned and nodded her head carefully from side to side. She couldn't say no, but she meant it.

Santana broke down. She gathered Rachel into a gentle hug, and sobbed on her chest. Quinn jumped up, "I'm going to call mama."

The mother looked up, "Call mama first, then get the nurses," she started kissing Rachel's face over and over again, whispering her love and thanking God at the same time.

Quinn pulled her phone from her backpack, and quickly dialed the hotel room she had on speed dial. Brittany's groggy voice, rough from sleep answered quickly, "Quinn, are you alright, is everything all right?"

The girl was crying, "Mama, hurry up and get over here! Rachel woke up! Hurry mama, hurry," she sobbed into the phone. She smiled when her mother screamed aloud in joy.

"I'll be right there, oh baby, thank you, thank God!"

They hung up and Quinn ran to get the nurses. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at her sobbing mother and confused sister. Everything really was going to be alright. Rachel wasn't going to die. She nearly danced to the nurse's station.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**Thanks so much for reading, I hope it didn't disappoint. If you liked it, please take a moment to leave a review.**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N – I don't own Glee or the characters**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters, and I make no profit off these stories. Thanks to everyone for the alerts, favorites, and comments. They absolutely mean the world to me!**_

_**Chapter 20 Walls start closing in**_

Quinn sat in the big armchair next to Mack, while Puck sat off to the side softly strumming his guitar. He knew it relaxed Rachel. Sheila and Ronnie had stopped by Rachel's room to visit for a few minutes, and Quinn knew they didn't come for Rachel but to support her. It made her feel warm inside knowing she was still loved and accepted by her friends. Things had gotten so crazy lately. She had barely seen any of the Skanks other than Mack.

Santana had gone to work for half a day, and Brittany was running a few errands and would be back shortly for Rachel's physical therapy session.

Rachel was sitting up in the bed with her back propped up against some pillows. Her eyes were closed, and she was listening to Noah play the guitar and softly serenade her. She hadn't tried to sing yet. The thought that her voice might have been damaged in the attack terrified Rachel. She hadn't discussed her greatest fear with anyone yet. The reality that she might never sing again was too great to face just yet.

Rachel had been awake nearly a week now. She still had a few residual effects from being beaten and choked nearly to death. She didn't remember a lot of what happened that day. She had some trouble walking, actually her balance and equilibrium were still off-kilter. According to the doctors and therapists, she was a very lucky young woman to be alive. The tiny diva was still very weak, and slept a lot. The biggest problem she had was with her memory, especially regarding words.

It took her a long time to remember what certain things were called, and sometimes she couldn't remember at all. A few times she actually knew the right word, but it came out of her mouth as something completely different. It was scary and very frustrating for Rachel. She was afraid that she might have permanent brain damage from the attack.

She opened her eyes, and looked around the room. It was like she was seeing things for the first time. Quinn and Mack were sitting on the chair with their heads together laughing about something on Mack's cell phone. Rachel felt terrible realizing her sister spent an entire year protecting her, and concealing all her own pain. She remembered what Quinn used to be like, and wondered how much of the pink haired Goth girl in front of her was the real Quinn and how much was a mask.

Rachel looked at Mack and sighed. She had spent so much time hating the girl, when now she realized she was just jealous of her relationship with Quinn.

She turned and looked at Noah. He smiled softly at her as he kept singing to her. It was like she was seeing Noah Puckerman for the first time. How could she have been so blind? She actually thought Noah was a loser, and Finn was who she couldn't live without. She had been so stupid and blind. Puck was infuriating, cocky, and lazy. He had terrible taste in clothes, his jokes weren't funny, and that haircut had to go. On the other hand, Noah was sweet, cute, and loyal. Quinn had told her that he had been at the hospital with her every single day she was in the coma. Her mothers' had told her that he was a hero the night of her attack. It also didn't hurt that both her mothers' liked him. Rachel was beyond shocked to realize she might actually have feelings for the idiot who still called her his "Jew babe". It kind of blew her mind.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Santana put in a few hours at work, and rushed back to the hospital. Britt was wrapped up in helping Rachel with her physical therapy, so Santana was supporting Quinn at all her therapy sessions. Thank God for Holly Holliday. If she wasn't such a damned incredible assistant, Santana was sure she wouldn't still have a job.

She was standing in the doorway of Rachel's hospital room watching her little family. They were wounded, bloodied, a little beaten but they had all survived. Rachel was still alive after a very close call, and Quinn was actually making progress in counseling. Santana had actually seen Quinn smile; genuinely smile for the first time since Homecoming. Puck was actually attending classes, and doing homework. Mack was away from her violent father, and living with Reina. She and Brittany were spending more time apart than ever before, but they were committed to helping both girls recover. They were back to working as a team. Maybe, just maybe, her family would finally get back to normal.

Rachel was thirsty, and her throat was still raspy. She needed a drink of water, "Quinn? Can you hand me the cat?" she froze, she meant water, her brain thought water. How did the word "water" filter from her brain and come out of her mouth as "cat"? It was humiliating and so frustrating. Yesterday she had called a spoon a rock. The two words didn't sound anything alike, "Fuck!" she yelled startling Quinn, Mack, and Puck into silence. Tears filled her eyes, as she pounded both hands down onto her bed.

Santana shook her head as she made her presence known, "Figures, that word you remember perfectly!"

The three teens tried not to laugh. They knew Rachel was upset. Santana walked over to Rachel, and kissed her on the forehead, "Take a deep breath, baby. The doctors said this was going to happen for a while. Don't get all flustered. Can you point to what you want?"

Rachel swiped at the tears in her eyes angrily, and pointed to the cup of ice water on her bed tray.

"Are you thirsty? You want some water?"

Rachel nodded her head.

"Ok," Santana picked up the cup and held it while her youngest took a long sip of cold water through the straw, "Now, take your time and think the word water in your head. Are you thinking it?" She watched Rachel as she concentrated, "Now say it slowly."

Rachel looked around the room panicked. Everyone's eyes were on her. She felt stupid, and it was embarrassing. She knew she was going to say the wrong word again. Swallowing a huge lump in her throat, she opened her mouth to speak but a sob escaped instead.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Brittany bustled into the room, dropping her packages on the floor, and rushing to embrace her baby girl.

"Rach was just getting frustrated. She's overtired I think, and some words were coming out wrong. I think she's a little embarrassed," Santana leaned over and whispered it so only Rachel and Brittany heard her.

Brittany soothed the hair from her youngest child's forehead, "Is that what's wrong, sweetie?"

Rachel nodded her head, and tried to stop crying. She was so emotional lately. It was nice having both her mothers' comforting her. She closed her eyes, and just relaxed into the feeling. Maybe her mom was right, she probably was just tired. She quickly dozed off into a fitful sleep.

Brittany looked over at Quinn, "Sweetheart, don't you have a counseling appointment?"

Quinn nodded at her mama, "In fifteen minutes."

The tall blonde looked at Lauren and Noah, as well as her daughter, "Did you guys get your homework done?"

All three immediately looked guilty. Brittany huffed, "Honestly you guys! Lauren, does Reina know where you are?"

"I've been here every day for two weeks. Considering she's a detective I'd bet she knows where I am," she snapped out carelessly.

Santana's and Quinn's eyes opened wide in surprise, and both had the same thought, "Mack had lost her damn mind!" It wasn't smart to sass Brittany, not if you enjoyed sitting comfortably.

Mack was frustrated, and afraid, even if she didn't recognize her feelings as fear. She was chaffing under the detective's rules. It was nice having a clean bed, decent food, and not be afraid of her drunken father's tirades in the middle of the night. But, she wasn't a damn toddler. She'd been taking care of herself for a very long time without help. In her experience, mothers were useless. It was weak to want or need one now, especially at her age. That ship had sailed. It was better to just push Reina and Brittany away. It would hurt less when they eventually walked away, just like everyone in her short life always had. What Mack had failed to realize was that she had completely underestimated Reina Sanchez and Brittany Lopez-Pierce.

Quinn stood up quickly, "I better get to my counseling appointment. Are you coming, Mom?"

Santana smiled, "Absolutely," she leaned over and kissed Rachel's forehead. Then she turned around and kissed Puck on his cheek, causing the tall teenager to blush profusely, "Watch out for my girls while I'm gone?" She looked pointedly at Mack, "All of them?"

"Of course, Mrs. LP! Puckzilla is on the job, so you got no worries," he said seriously.

The lawyer scoffed, "The fact that you refer to yourself in the third person as Puckzilla is worrisome enough, dude!" She winked at him, and he smiled warmly back. He really did love these women, all of them. They were nothing like the cold, distant bitch who gave birth to him, and told him daily what a disappointing loser he was. None of them looked at him like he was dirt. They actually made him feel loved, and wanted. He knew he would go to the ends of the Earth for all of them, including Mack. They were all family now.

Santana took Brittany's hand and squeezed it warmly, "We'll be back as soon as Quinn's session is over. I thought maybe later, I could run out and grab some food from that Thai place Rachel loves?"

The tall blonde pulled her attention away from glaring at Lauren to looking at her beautiful wife, "That sounds wonderful. I think we are all sick of hospital food by now," she said warmly.

The Latina walked past Mack and whispered, "Good luck, kid!" She and Quinn walked out of the room. Quinn gave her best friend a look that Mack couldn't decipher. She had no idea what Santana meant or why Quinn was looking at her like that.

Brittany kissed Rachel and turned to Puck, "Noah, would you keep an eye on Rachel for me? I need to talk to Lauren privately."

"No problem, Mrs. LP. I got it covered."

"Thank you, sweetheart," She walked over and grabbed Mack by the arm, pulling her from her seat, "You and I need to have a private conversation," Brittany said sternly, as she walked from Rachel's room, dragging the surly teenager with her.

Mack felt her stomach lurch and her lower abdomen coil in anxiety. The kind, gentle blonde looked really pissed off. She hadn't meant to piss anyone off. She was just frustrated. Brittany would probably tell her to beat it now. She would probably not let her come back to the hospital now. Her mind was racing a mile a minute.

Brittany pulled her into a private lounge area that was mercifully empty. She shut the door and locked it. Then she turned to look at the teenager with a stern expression on her face, "Would you care to explain to me what the attitude is all about? I asked you a very simple question. It only required a yes or no answer."

The teen shrugged noncommittally, "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have an attitude. You asked if Reina knew where I was? I answered you. I mean, she'd have to be a pretty piss poor detective if she couldn't figure that one out, don't you think?" She cringed at the words coming out of her mouth. She really cared about Brittany; she couldn't understand why she was doing everything in her power to push her away.

The blonde narrowed her eyebrow, and glared at the teenager for a full minute. It was making Mack very uncomfortable. She was actually close to squirming, as juvenile as that made her feel. So she glared back, even though she didn't really feel comfortable doing it. Brittany's eyes had turned an almost glacial blue. Mack had seen the look before, but it was never directed at her. It was pretty unsettling. Now she understood the healthy respect her best friend had for her mama.

Finally, the blonde nodded as if coming to an internal decision. She walked over to Mack, took her by the arm, spun her around and landed a surprisingly painful swat to her jean clad backside. It had happened so fast, the teen didn't even have time to react. She quickly landed two more in the exact same spot, before Mack had a chance to say or do anything. Brittany let the shocked teenager go, and wasn't surprised when the teen quickly reached back and rubbed her bottom. She knew that had hurt, it had stung her hand. She watched Lauren's reactions carefully, looking for any sign of fear. This was about loving discipline not abuse. She wanted to make sure Lauren understood the difference.

"I'm going to ask one more time, and I advise you to think carefully about what comes out of your mouth this time. What's with the attitude, Lauren Noel?" Brittany was standing next to the teenager, looking her in the eyes firmly.

Mack was embarrassed. I mean her best friend's mom had just spanked her for Christ's sake. In the back of her mind, she knew she had it coming, but still. She looked into Brittany's eyes ready to do battle, until she really saw into the big blue eyes. They were staring at her waiting for an answer, only they weren't filled with judgment, impatience, or even anger. The only healthy maternal figure in her life, besides the detective, was looking at her with a mixture of love, sadness, and compassion. Mack could tell, Q's mom was upset with her, but she still loved her. It just defied all logic. It flew in the face of everything Mack knew in her heart to be true about mothers'.

For the life of her, Mack had no valid excuse for what happened next. She opened her mouth to say something snotty, and instead a loud sob escaped her throat involuntarily. Then to her complete mortification, and as if her traitorous body had a will of its own, she threw herself into the maternal blonde's arms. She was crying like a little bitch. It was completely humiliating, but Mack just clung to the woman even harder. Sobs and shudders shaking her entire body. Mack couldn't ever remember crying so hard in her entire life.

Brittany actually breathed a sigh of relief. She was completely ready to turn the teenager over her knee if the attitude continued. She didn't want to, but she would. The young mother had been absorbed with Rachel and Quinn's well-being, but Lauren was going downhill fast and it wasn't hard to miss. She loved the girl like one of her own, and hated to see her struggling. Brittany Lopez-Pierce was not going to watch another teenager slip through the cracks on her watch. Not after what had happened to her daughters in the last year. She would never miss another red flag again.

Brittany had finally gotten some information out of a worried Reina. It had been like pulling teeth. Her wife's best friend felt the Lopez-Pierce family had enough going on, and didn't want to burden her. The blonde had decided while running errands, to corner Reina and get the whole truth out of her. Reina saw how worried Brittany was, and told her the whole story.

It seemed since moving in with the detective; Lauren had made a point to break every rule set down for her. It was clear rebellion. She was rude, distant, and resentful towards her new guardian. Reina was at her wit's end. Mack was obviously pushing Reina away, and trying to make her angry but the detective couldn't figure out why. She knew about Mack's mother leaving and father being a violent drunk; but at least at the detective's house she was safe and had quite a bit of freedom. Why would Mack want to leave? Reina had grown very attached to the kid. She reminded her of herself as a teenager. She didn't know what to do anymore.

She wanted this home situation to work out for Mack. If it didn't the next step was a group home, and those places were dangerous shit holes. Reina knew she couldn't force Mack to stay with her if she was determined to leave, but she knew the kid couldn't continue to live with a violent alcoholic. She was getting desperate. To Reina, it seemed the only thing keeping Mack from running away was her attachment to Quinn Lopez-Pierce. It was taking everything in her power not to let the sullen teen push her buttons. Brittany and Santana were loving and caring parents, it was time to get some advice from the professionals. When Brittany came to her seeking information about Mack, Reina broke down and told her everything.

Brittany gently maneuvered Lauren over to the couch in the lounge, and sat down pulling the sobbing teen into her lap. Brittany was surprised Lauren let herself be held. It was clear to the mom that the girl had finally reached her limit emotionally. A wall was coming down, and Brittany was so grateful to be allowed to comfort her. Maybe now she could get to the bottom of what was really going on in that stubborn head of hers.

She took all the time the girl needed. Brittany didn't rush her. She just held her, and rubbed her warm hand up and down the girl's back. It seemed to be calming her down.

Mack felt like a complete idiot, but she couldn't deny the comfort Brittany was providing her. It was too hard to resist the soft lap, the warm embrace, the obvious acceptance the woman was providing. She had always been jealous of Quinn having two loving mothers'. Her crying slowed to soft sniffling, and she burrowed closer to the tall blonde loving the way she smelled. She'd probably never have a chance to do this again, so she was taking all Brittany was willing to offer. Brittany responded immediately by wrapping her strong arms around the distressed teenager, and pulling her close to her body. She was humming as she rocked. Mack felt all her anger melt away.

She wanted to stay like this forever, but she knew Rachel had her physical therapy session soon. It was important for Brittany to be there with her. Sighing, she sat up and wiped her eyes, "We need to get back to the room. Rachel's session is soon," she wiggled off the blonde's lap to sit down beside her. She was attempting to be nonchalant about it, but failed miserably, "Sorry, I got mascara all over your shirt," she muttered with her head down.

Brittany looked her over carefully, "We need to talk about what's going on with you, and what just happened!" She said carefully, "Noah is with Rachel, and her session isn't for awhile. We have time."

"I know, I know. I just need some time to figure out what's going on and how to put it into words," She tried to wipe her running nose on her shirt sleeve, but Brittany gently stopped her. The blonde pulled some Kleenex from the box on the table, and handed it to the girl to use instead.

"I'm not going to let you get out of talking about this. You know that right?" Brittany was studying her reaction.

Her wounded brown eyes flitted up to meet Brittany's briefly, "I feel ridiculous about all this. You have so much going on right now. You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine you know! I'm just acting like a stupid baby."

"First of all, we ALL have a lot going on. You've been dealing with Quinn's rape and keeping it secret for as long as she has. I know you feel guilty about what happened to Rachel with Azimio Adams," she took the soiled and soggy Kleenex from the girl, and dropped it into the wastebasket, "On top of all that, I don't think you've ever dealt with your mom's leaving or your dad's drinking," She reached over and smoothed her damp hair off the girl's forehead, "Reina really does care about you, and is pretty worried about how you're behaving lately."

Mack looked down at her lap. She was surprised when she felt Brittany put two fingers under her chin and tilt her face so she was forced to look at the older woman, "_I_ really care about you, and_ I'm_ really worried about how you're acting."

Mack swallowed heavily, and nodded. She was afraid to speak. She was fairly certain she'd just humiliate herself again by blubbering. She didn't act this way with anyone else. Why was she falling apart in front of Brittany Lopez-Pierce?

Brittany just shook her head and smiled understandingly, "What am I going to do with all you badass women in my life?"

Mack looked sheepish, but pleased. She just shrugged.

"Want to hear what I think is going on?" Brittany asked calmly.

Mack really didn't. She just knew the woman would probably be right. You can't just un-know something once you knew it.

Mack went to protest, but Brittany laid two fingers on her lips, "No use arguing, young lady. We are talking about this!"

"Whatever!" She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Brittany to continue.

"Lauren, do we really need to talk more about your attitude," Brittany said darkly.

"No ma'am."

"Good," she continued, "I think you like Reina, and you want her to like you. I think you realized how awful things have been at your house. I think it scares you to need people. It hurt when your mom left. So you keep trying to push Reina, and me away before we leave you like she did."

Mack felt hot tears welling again, and cursed herself for the baby she was today. She was chewing her bottom lip so hard, Brittany was afraid she was going to chew it right off.

"Sweetheart; Reina, Santana, me, Quinn, Puck, and Rachel? We love you and you are family. We aren't going anywhere. You can push, and push, and push all you want but you can't scare us away. We see the real Lauren, not the guarded person you show the world. Please stop fighting us. Try to relax, and let Reina and I love you? Please?"

"I don't know how to do that," Mack finally whispered.

"I know you don't, honey. You just have to relax and trust that we are telling you the truth. Just take it one hour at a time. Let us take care of you for a change."

"I'll try," she angrily wiped tears off her cheeks, leaving black streaks all over her face, "fucking mascara!"

"Lauren, language!" Brittany scolded, and Mack looked up and smiled.

"Oh, another thing," Brittany said merrily as she stood up, "I told Reina the next time you openly defy her, she should spank you. She took it under advisement, so I'd start watching how I was behaving from now on."

"You didn't?"

Brittany's blue eyes twinkled, "I sure did, I even offered to let her borrow my big wooden hairbrush! It works really well on stubborn teenage backsides!"

"But," Mack stuttered.

"Exactly," Brittany smiled as she landed another halfhearted swat on the girl's vulnerable bottom, "It's your butt you're risking. That goes for how you talk to me and Santana, and if you disobey us as well. I think you already figured that part out though. I already love you like one of my own. I'm going to start holding you to the same rules. Got it?"

Mack nodded dumbly.

She leaned over and kissed the embarrassed teen's cheek on her way out the door, "Make sure you call Reina and tell here where you are. Dinner is at 7 pm. Invite her to come; we are having Rachel's favorite Thai food. And get that homework done, young lady…."

Mack stood there in shock watching a cheerful Brittany walk back to Rachel's room. She was totally fucked, and she knew it. Still, she couldn't hide the tiny swell of love blossoming in her chest for Reina and the lovely blonde who had the determination to take her in hand, and hold her accountable.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Rachel woke up from her nap a bit groggy. The room was empty except for Noah who was sleeping in the chair next to her bed. She took the time to really look at him. He had always irritated her so! She hadn't realized how good looking he really was. He acted like such a macho jerk at school; it was easy to miss his kind, gentle side as well.

She was startled when he suddenly opened his beautiful hazel eyes. They were just like Quinn's eyes. Rachel wondered why she never noticed that before.

"Hey," he said softly, "everything ok?"

She smiled at his smirk, "Just fine, Noah. Thanks for asking. Where is everyone?"

He shrugged, "Quinn and Mrs. LP are at counseling, Mack and the blonde Mrs. LP are talking, and that leaves me."

"I'm glad you were here with me when I woke up."

"Well, someone had to deal with all the drooling and the snoring, might as well be me!"

She started to reply indignantly, but stopped when he started laughing, "I'm sorry. I really am. You are just too easy. I shouldn't get you all riled up when you're recovering," he chuckled when she glared daggers at him.

He put his hand on his heart, and gazed at her sincerely, "I really am sorry, Rach. Can I get you anything, or do anything to make it up to you?"

She bit her bottom lip while she thought, "I would love a fruit smoothie. My throat is dry."

"I'll go as soon as one of your moms' is back, ok? I don't want to leave you alone," he growled protectively.

"When did you become such a sweetheart, Noah Puckerman?"

"I've always been a sweetheart, you just never took the time to notice," He teased, "Ok, maybe in between dumping Kurt and the other losers in the dumpster, I was a sweetheart."

"I hope your bullying days are over. It really is most unattractive."

Puck turned his head to the side, studying her face. It was making her uncomfortable.

"What is it, Noah?" she whispered.

"I guess we've both done our share of unattractive things. Maybe it's time for a fresh start for all of us. You know, like a do-over!"

Rachel swallowed, "I stood by and let Finn slushy and bully people. I tried to tell myself that by not actually participating I was responsible, and therefore carried none of the blame. That was not true, I see it now. It was just as much my fault for not standing up to him. When I go back to McKinley, things are going to change."

"Hey, you're talkin good again! See you were just tired! I know that me, Q, and Mack feel the same way. No one gets bullied on our watch anymore. Time to clean up McKinley. Get rid of the creeps and the bullies."

They shared a sweet smile. Each thinking how they had never noticed how beautiful the other's smile was.

The silence started to feel cumbersome, so Rachel spoke first, "Noah, what was that song you were playing before? I've never heard it?"

"That's because I wrote it," he said casually.

"You did, really?" The way to Rachel Lopez-Pierce's heart was definitely through her ears.

"Yep, it's called Ode to My JewBabe," he smirked as he picked up his guitar, "I wrote it for you!"

"I'm deeply honored," Rachel was moved, and she resisted grabbing the bait again, "Well, it's very pretty, something that pretty needs a beautiful name."

"I'll think about it. I thought maybe you could help me with some of the lyrics. It could be a Glee Project. Maybe we can sing it at Regionals. I mean, if you think the finished product is good enough."

Rachel nodded eagerly, "I've always wanted to write a song. I'd love to help. Oh thank you, Noah. Thank you so much."

"You're really never gonna call me Puck are you? Only my nana calls me Noah?" he whined.

"No, I am never going to call you Puck or any other of those ridiculous nicknames you're so fond of. Noah is a lovely name. It fits you. Get used to it!"

"Oh I have a feeling I'm going to be getting used to a lot of new things," he whispered as she bent over to tune his guitar.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, babe. Nothing at all," He was relieved when Mack and Brittany walked in the room and saved him from repeating his answer.

He smiled at Rachel's look of aggravation. He could see himself doing this with Rachel for a long, long time.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn was sitting in therapy just staring at a painting on the wall. She had been inside her head so far this session and hadn't said much. Janie Forbes was watching her young patient carefully. It was clear the girl wanted to talk about something, but was hesitant to do so. She didn't want to rush her.

"So," the therapist started, "Rachel is doing well, yeah?"

Quinn's hazel eyes lazily swept from the wall over the therapist. It nearly took Janie's breath away. The girl was beautiful, but could seem so cold and distant at times. It was off putting. Who was the patient, and who was the therapist? For a teenager, the girl had a tremendous sense of poise.

"Yes, she is having a few difficulties with memory and speech. The doctor says it's all perfectly normal though. Rachel is frustrated, but she is a Type A on crack personality," she shrugged as if that said it all.

Janie grinned at the analogy. She hadn't met Rachel yet, but felt like she could see her through Quinn's descriptions, "Are you a Type A on crack personality?"

Quinn smiled, "No, I used to be a plain old Type A, but never to the extent Rachel and my mom are. Anymore, I don't even think I qualify as that."

Janie tapped the pencil eraser against her chin, "What changed?"

The teen scoffed, "I did, and my entire life did!" She went back to staring at the wall.

"Quinn?"

The teen hummed that she had heard, "hmmm?"

"I have a feeling you want to talk about something in particular, but you aren't. You can tell me anything. On the other hand, if you are just tired and don't want to be here, we can stop anytime today."

Quinn swiveled in her seat, and looked hard at the therapist, "You can't tell my parents' unless I'm a danger to myself or others?"

"That's correct?"

"How much of a danger? I mean I don't want to get locked up in some crazy house!" Quinn was shifting nervously in her seat.

"Well, if you tell me you have a gun, and you are going to go find your rapist and castrate him…. I need to tell someone. If you tell me you feel suicidal, and you have an actual plan….. I need to tell someone, and get you the help you need to stay safe. Does that clarify things?"

"What if, hypothetically, a person might be doing something that helps them feel better, but someone else might categorize it as them hurting themselves?"

There is was. Janie wondered how Quinn had been coping for the last year with things. She didn't drink or do drugs, or so she said. She was a straight A student. She still had friends. Was she secretly drinking, promiscuous, or was she cutting herself? Janie had thought that someone that could be as calm and controlled as Quinn was might be cutting herself. She fit the profile.

Janie took a moment to answer, "Hypothetically, if there is no suicidal intent, and it's just to feel things?" Quinn nodded her agreement to that statement, so Janie continued, "then it is not something I would have to share right away. The treatment plan would change a little. I would make up an agreement with the person, asking them to commit to trying one of the safety valve treatments like writing, making a call, punching a bag, running a mile, talking to someone in authority, meditate, something we came up with together, before hurting themselves. The plan would require complete honesty and disclosure. I would be honest with them before changing the plans, and they would be honest with me about when the actually did hurt themselves and why they chose that action. The behavior itself can be humiliating, and cause people to shut down emotionally rather than talk about it, but it is common after abuse and trauma. This hypothetical person would not be alone. It happens more than they probably know."

"Not tell anyone, right away? What does that mean?"

Janie smiled, God the girl was quick and smart, "It means that self-harming can escalate. It can become more dangerous, more of a threat the longer it is left untreated."

Quinn was deep in thought. She was such a hard book to read. Janie hoped she had gained enough of the girl's trust to get her to open up to her. She didn't hold out a lot of hope for full disclosure. The teen kept everything packed up tight inside.

Against her better judgment, Janie made another comment, "It's especially important to be prepared for stressful or traumatic situations. That can kick the behavior you are talking about into high gear. It becomes almost an addiction; that feeling of pain, release, relief, being alive that most people feel. It can become a high. Things like a trial for instance," Janie hedged, "that might be the kind of stressful situation that can cause the behavior to escalate."

Quinn snorted, "Smooth, that was very smooth," she stood up abruptly, "I'm not feeling this today. You'll clear it with my mom, me ending the session early?"

"If you'll do me a favor?"

Quinn raised one eyebrow impossibly high, "Such as?" she said imperiously. The gate to her feelings had opened just a crack, but slammed back shut with a loud bang.

Janie scribbled a phone number on her card, "This is my cell number. If, hypothetically, someone has an overwhelming urge to hurt themselves in any way, I'd like a chance to talk it out first. Maybe suggest some alternate solutions."

Quinn took the card, and studied it carefully, "I'm not promising anything."

"I know that. I just want you to have options," She walked Quinn to the door, "Quinn, things are going to progress pretty rapidly from here on out. Rachel is recovering. There is going to be the rape trial, and the assault trial. It is going to be incredibly stressful. Use my number, use our sessions. I don't want this to take you down into someplace dark."

"You mean like Hell?" Quinn scoffed, "Too late, I'm already living there!"

Quinn walked over to the elevator, while Janie talked to her mom. She was feeling very anxious. She had said far too much to Janie. The woman wasn't stupid. She knew what Quinn was talking about. She pushed the up button, and waited for her mom to come over.

Her cell phone started to vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and was stunned to see the name Sam Evans on the caller ID. She hadn't heard from him since her car broke down in Toledo.

"Hello?"

"Quinn? Hi, it's Sam."

"Hey, Sam. What's going on?"

The boy cleared his throat a few times, "I read some stuff in the paper about your family. My dad is a defense attorney in Cleveland, remember?"

"I do remember you saying that, hence the J. Crew style," she teased.

"Listen, I shouldn't be telling you this. You guys have so much going on right now. I just didn't want you all to get caught off guard. You need to tell your mom something for me," He seemed nervous.

"Ok, I will. What is it?"

"The Hummel-Hudson's hired my father to represent Finn Hudson. They aren't going to plead. They are going to take it all the way to trial. My dad has a reputation among defense attorneys," He sounded really uncomfortable, "Tell you mom, she'll know what to do, ok?"

Quinn felt the air leave her immediate surroundings. The room got hot, and she felt dizzy. She heard a loud buzzing in her head, and her mom calling her name. She heard Sam calling her name from the phone. Then the room went black.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**So that's chapter 20… if you liked it let me know… things are starting to progress… we have some trial stuff coming up, and Sam is back which Mack is going to struggle with. Quinn is holding in stress, and Rachel can't remember the attack. Next chapter up in a week….. leave a review! Thanks for reading.**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N – I don't own Glee or the characters**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters; everyone not on the show is from my imagination. Thanks to everyone for the alerts, favorites, and comments. They absolutely mean the world to me!**_

_**Well this update took longer than a week! I apologize profusely. I've had a rough few months. I'll try to get back on more of a regular schedule.**_

_**Chapter 21**_

Quinn became aware of a loud buzzing in her brain, the room was hot, and she was sick to her stomach. She wondered where she was as she slowly opened her eyes. She saw her mom's and her therapist's faces, both looking very worried, come into focus, and realized she was lying on Janie's couch, "I guess my session isn't over after all," her voice cracked at her lame attempt at humor.

Trying to sit up, she was gently pushed back down by her mother sitting on the couch next to her, "Oh no you don't mija, and you've already scared the hell out of me today. You need to lie back down, until Janie says it's ok."

Quinn groaned, "She's a therapist, Mom, not a doctor. I'm fine. Man it's really hot in this room," she complained as she complied with her mother's wishes and stayed on her back, "what happened anyway?"

Janie leaned over the couch, "What's the last thing you remember, Quinn?"

The teenager blew out a puff of air, "We finished my session early, I walked to the elevator and pushed the button," she hesitated for a minute as she was sorting out her thoughts, "Mom was talking to you, and I wanted her to hurry up since I was getting hungry," her brows knit together as she suddenly remembered, "Sam called me!" She sat up quickly, too quickly as the room spun and she felt sick again.

Santana and Janie both jumped to help her, "Easy does it, mija. That was too quick, and I don't want you to get sick. Who is Sam, and why did he make you faint?"

Quinn sat on the edge of the couch, holding her head in her hands trying to get the room to stop spinning, "Sam, you remember him Mom, from Toledo? He said to tell you that Finn's parent's hired his Dad to represent him in court. He isn't going to take any plea bargain, he is going to fight us in court," she peeked at her mom through her fingers when she heard her low growl, "You remember Sam now?"

"Evans!" Santana spat the word like it was foul tasting. Quinn just nodded her agreement, and put her head back down again in defeat.

Janie looked at Santana, "This is bad, I take it?"

"Evans is the kind of slimy defense attorney that gives slime a bad name," she whispered softly so only Janie could hear her, "he's made a career out of putting the victims on trial. He has investigators on staff that does nothing but dig up dirt on rape and assault victims."

The therapist felt a pang of sadness for Quinn and her family, hadn't they been through enough already, "Don't worry. I'll do everything in my power to help Quinn prepare for this," she put a supportive hand on Santana's arm.

She turned to the teen, "Would you like some water, Quinn?"

"Please," the girl responded. Janie returned with bottled water for Quinn and her mother.

Santana smiled her thanks, "Mija, do you think you can walk now? We've been gone longer than usual; I don't want to worry your mama or Rachel, but I don't want to rush you if you're not ready."

"I'm good; it was just a shock to my system, I guess. I knew the trial was really coming, but I guess I just buried my feelings. I really thought Finn would take a plea bargain and try to avoid a trial. I guess it's a good thing I make a better artist than a lawyer, huh Mom?" She stood up, holding onto her concerned mother for support.

Janie followed them to her office door, "Quinn, you have my number. I know we see each other tomorrow afternoon, but if you need me before then, don't hesitate to call me. Remember to use those breathing techniques I showed you if you start feeling overwhelmed again," she was very concerned for the young teen in front of her, especially after the girl had practically admitted to cutting herself in their last session, "I'm really serious, Quinn, call me night or day if you feel out of control. Do you promise?" She was careful not to say too much in front of the girl's mother. Janie had promised confidentiality and would not break her word, unless Quinn was a danger to herself or others.

Santana gave them both a funny look when Quinn let go over her, and hugged the therapist. Her eldest daughter was not a hugger any more than she was herself.

"Thanks so much, Janie, for everything. I promise to call if I need you. I'll see you tomorrow," she said sincerely.

Janie was surprised by the hug, but to her it signified a breakthrough. She had gotten past one of Quinn Lopez-Pierce's infamous walls. She smiled at the pink-haired teenager, "Good, I will see you tomorrow then."

She watched the mother-daughter duo walk slowly to the elevators before closing her door, fighting her mixed feelings of happiness and concern.

Santana and Quinn rode the elevator in silence, neither really knowing what to say. When they got to Rachel's floor, Santana held Quinn's arm gently to hold her back, "Let's not mention this to Rachel or your Mama just yet. I'll tell your Mama privately back at the hotel when I take her over. Is that alright with you, mija?"

Quinn bit her bottom lip, "Actually I was going to ask you if you could tell Mama. I don't want Rachel to freak out, and you know Mama, she'll be all huggy and clingy and wind up crying on me."

Santana snorted, "Your Mama is right, you are so much like me," they smiled at each other meaningfully, "just one question though, mija. Where do you think you are sleeping tonight? You're going back to the hotel tonight with your Mama."

"No! Please, mommy let me sleep here with Rachel, please?" she tried her best pout and puppy dog eyes.

Her mother just shook her head at her daughter's antics, "No, you fainted downstairs. You scared me half to death. I want you to go to the hotel at a decent hour, take a hot shower, and get a good night sleep," she put her hand up to stop her daughter's impending argument, "No Quinn, and that's final. Janie is right, you are overwhelmed and exhausted. You need to rest."

"Yeah like that's going to happen with Mama blubbering all over me," she grumbled to herself as she trudged past her mother to Rachel's room.

Santana just rolled her eyes having heard the comment.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn and Mack were sitting across the street at the hotel. Quinn had convinced her mother and Reina to let them go back to the hotel alone and watch a movie.

"So what happened between you and my mama?"

The pink-haired teen chuckled when Mack blushed and stared at her slice of pizza, "Uh oh, did she spank you for your backtalk?" Quinn teased. She actually laughed out loud when Mack scowled at her, "I knew you were in trouble. I saw the way she looked at you when you snapped at her."

"Shut up, asshole," Mack snapped at her best friend which only made Quinn laugh harder, "She didn't spank me," Mack said using air quotes, "but let's just say I got a physical reminder, and a warning of what was going to happen if I didn't shape up." The brunette finally shrugged and smirked at her friend, "Well at least now I understand why you and Rachel have such a healthy respect for the woman. She's so sweet and kind, but damn she can be scary when she's pissed."

"No shit she can be scary, but when she loves you she doesn't mess around," she smiled a genuinely happy smile, "You might as well face the facts, Lauren, my parents love you."

"You're such a jerk, you know that Quinnie?" Mack smirked at her friend as they continued to eat pizza, and talk quietly as they ignored the movie they had rented.

After about an hour, Mack looked over at Quinn, "So what aren't you telling me?" She felt a slight stab of anxiety when she saw her friend instantly pale.

"Finn's parents hired a sleazy lawyer, we are going to have to go to court," Quinn said as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She knew she would always keep a brave face in front of her family, but she felt free to be herself in front of Mack, "He's going to get away with this, Mack. I just know it."

Mack jumped to her feet, and started pacing, "That fucking bastard, I hate him so much for what he did to you and Rachel, but there is no way he is getting away with this."

Quinn just shook her head sadly, "Yes he will, Mack. He's going to get up on that stand looking like the All American hero, and swear under oath that what we did was consensual. Then all his football buddies are going to parade in and swear under oath they fucked me too. His lawyer will show the jury pictures of me, you, and the Skanks and they will judge me based on how I look. He's going to walk."

Mack was shaking with rage, "No, no Quinn, it's not fair. He's a rapist, Quinn, you said no. We have him on tape from the night he kidnapped Rachel. The jury will see him for the pig he is."

"Then his lawyer is going to ask me questions, and I'll be under oath," she interrupted Mack, "I have to say that I went upstairs with him willingly, that we had oral sex consensually. I'm screwed and you know it. Life isn't fair, Mack, and you know it. It's going to make it even more difficult to convict him on Rachel's attempted rape."

Mack sat down next to her friend, and tried to comfort her, "Look Q, I know life isn't fair, believe me I do. If it was fair I wouldn't be living with Reina; my mom wouldn't have left and my dad wouldn't be a violent drunk. I get why you're depressed about it too, but you have more going for you than you think. Puck will testify that he's lying, and I know not all the other football players will testify for Finn. I know some of them hate him as much as we do. I'm going to testify about how Hudson cornered me in the park and threatened me. Don't forget Azimio Adams either. He may be a scumbag too, but he is going to want to save his own ass and make a deal to testify against Hudson. We have the pictures Hudson texted to him on our side too," she put her arm around a softly sobbing Quinn, and pulled her close, "I'm not going to let him get away, I swear to you, and neither will the rest of the Skanks. Neither will your moms' or Reina. We are all on your side Quinn, all of us. Just don't give, promise me you won't give up or do something stupid."

"Now you sound like my therapist," Quinn gently pushed her friend, embarrassed by all the emotions she was showing.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about her, you have her on your side as well."

Quinn sniffed loudly, and wiped her eyes, "Thanks, Mack, thanks for letting me get it all out. I was kind of freaking out about the whole thing, and I can't say shit like that to either of my mothers'."

"I don't know, Q. Last year I would have agreed with you, but Brittany is pretty amazing, and I know Santana is too or else she and Reina wouldn't be best friends. I've really seen how much they love you and Rachel, and they have been better parents to both me and Puck than our own sorry ass parents ever were. I think you should talk to them about how you feel, or at least talk to the therapist about it."

Quinn laughed and stood up, "Jeez one spanking and you turn into a total pussy," she smiled at Mack to take the sting out of her words, "I'm going to go wash my face, and try to get my shit together before my Mama and Reina get here. They should be here any minute."

Mack watched Quinn walk into the bathroom, worry in her eyes. She cleaned up the mess from the pizza, and straightened up the couch and put the pillows back on the bed. Quinn was still in the bathroom when she heard the card key beep, and the door open.

Brittany and Reina walked in the room. The tall blonde looked around questioningly.

"She's in the bathroom," Mack filled in Quinn's obviously worried mama, "she's been in there awhile. She was a little upset, I think she just wanted to be alone for a little bit."

"Well, I can understand why she's upset, we are all upset by the news," Brittany said softly. Well, that answered the question as to whether Santana told her yet or not.

Mack smiled at Reina, "Hi," she said shyly, "I'm sorry about being such a jerk lately."

Reina lifted an eyebrow at the meek behavior of her ward. Brittany had filled her in on their little chat but the detective expected more defiance not this. Her heart broke a little at the knowledge that it must be mostly caused by Mack's concern for her best friend and the upcoming trial.

"Thanks for apologizing, Mack. Don't worry; we'll work it all out," Reina answered back kindly, "Did you eat something? Is your homework finished?"

Mack resisted the impulse to say something smartass back to her guardian. She could feel Brittany's eyes on her, and she remembered the earlier warning, "Yeah we both ate a little, and we finished our homework at the hospital. You can check it if you want."

"No, I trust you. If you say it's done, then it's done," she looked into the brunette's dark brown eyes letting her know she had faith in her. It wasn't a feeling Mack was used to, "Let's go home, and let these two get some sleep. It's getting late, and you have school in the morning."

"Sure, I'm kind of tired anyway. Let me just say goodbye to Q, ok?" Reina nodded her approval.

Mack walked over by Brittany and stopped. She looked up at the taller woman, and gazed into her crystal blue eyes, "Thank you, for everything," she whispered sincerely. She was surprised to see tears filling the blonde's eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…."

Brittany pulled her into a huge bone crushing hug, "You have nothing to be sorry for, these are happy tears sweetheart. Thank you for being here for Quinn tonight, she's going to need all her friends around her now. Behave yourself, ok?"

"I will, I promise," Mack whispered into the gentle woman's ear. She smiled when she felt Brittany kiss her temple, "I'm going to say goodnight to Q," she blushed again when Brittany sent her down the hall with a few maternal pats to her backside.

Mack knocked gently on the bathroom door, "Hey, Q? Your mama and Reina are here. I gotta go. I just wanted to say goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow, ok? Just call me if you need anything."

Quinn was sitting on the toilet seat holding the razor blade in her hand. She had made three small incisions on her inner thigh, and felt instant relief as the blood poured out of the wounds. She was startled when Mack knocked on the door. She held the wad of scarlet soaked toilet paper tightly against the wounds, mesmerized by the flow of blood. Somehow it made the day easier to bear, "Thanks for everything, Mack. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Mack frowned, something was off but she couldn't put her finger on it. She turned when Reina called her name, "I gotta go, Q. The parents are getting impatient."

"Yeah, ok," she heard Quinn murmur through the door, "Good night Mack."

"Night, Q."

Brittany waited for about fifteen minutes before knocking on the door, "Are you coming out, baby? I really want to see that you are alright."

The bleeding had finally stopped, and Quinn had wrapped her thigh tightly with the gauze she carried in her backpack, "I'll be out in a minute, Mama," she sighed and looked in the mirror. She didn't see a victim, she saw the slut she knew everyone else was going to see. Her guilt and shame had flooded back with the phone call from Sam, and she just wanted this whole trial to just go away. She reluctantly opened the bathroom door, knowing her mama was going to want to talk.

Brittany had forced herself to remain sitting on the couch in front of the television. She had no idea what was on, nor was she watching it, but at least it was a distraction from the constant worry she had in her head since Santana told her the news.

Quinn came out and sat next to her mama. She leaned into her, and Brittany gladly wrapped her arms around her oldest child. They both sat there in total silence, just glad to be finding comfort in each other's company.

"Your mom told me you fainted earlier, how are you feeling now?" Brittany said quietly.

"It was just the shock of it all, I'm fine I swear," Quinn said into her mama's side, "I'm just really exhausted. Can we just not talk about this tonight, please? I just want to go to sleep now."

Brittany leaned over and kissed the top of Quinn's head, "Of course, baby. Try to get some sleep."

Quinn got up from the couch, and took a step towards the bedroom. The room had two Queen Size beds in it, and she slept in one while whichever mother was with her slept in the other. She stopped suddenly, and without looking at her mama she whispered brokenly, "Can I sleep with you tonight, Mama. I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep if I'm alone?"

Brittany was on her feet immediately, "Oh my angel, of course you can sleep with me, whenever and how often you need, whatever you need," she led her daughter into the bedroom her heart breaking for both her children. The blonde was awake long after Quinn fell asleep curled up into her side crying softly. She had one daughter in the hospital fighting to overcome the effects of a brutal attack, and her other daughter in bed with her afraid to sleep alone. It was more than she could bear alone.

Santana was sitting in the chair in Rachel's room wide awake. Rachel was sleeping peacefully, but she couldn't stop thinking about the news from earlier. She was startled when her phone vibrated on the table next to her chair, Brittany's picture was flashing.

"Babe? Is everything ok?"

"San?" It was all the blonde said before she dissolved into tears. She was trying to keep it soft, and not wake up Quinn.

"I'm here, babe. I've got you," she cooed to her distraught wife, "Listen to me, are you listening B? Rachel is alive, and Quinn is in counseling. Everything is going to be fine, sure this news is a setback, but are you really surprised? I'm a lawyer, and a damn good one. I believe in justice, B. Just have faith babe, just have faith."

Brittany smiled through her tears, "How do you always know the right thing to say to me?"

"Because I'm fucking awesome!" Santana smirked through the phone, "and I love you!"

"I love you too, Santana Lopez-Pierce," Brittany caught a sob in her throat, "am I awful and selfish for wanting you here in my bed right now holding me and comforting me?"

"You can be a lot of things, babe and most of them are awesome, but you are never awful and selfish. I want to be lying next to you in bed just as much as you want me there, but our girls need us now," Santana said reassuringly, "How's Q holding up?"

"She tried to be all strong and brave, you know our daughter, she's just like you, but she asked if she could sleep with me and then cried herself to sleep. She was so pale and frail looking. I don't think she's eating enough," she said fretfully.

"I know, I hadn't really noticed how small and frail she looked until I saw her lying on Janie's couch today after she fainted. She scared the hell out of me. I don't know if you've noticed, but you've gotten a bit thin yourself, mi amor," she scolded gently, "I need you, babe. I need you to take better care of yourself as well."

"I'm sorry, San. You don't have to worry about me; I promise I'll talk good care of myself, as long as you promise to take good care of yourself as well!"

"It's a deal then, now close your eyes mi Corazon and I'll sing you to sleep like when you were carrying Quinn and you couldn't sleep because she was kicking so hard, remember?"

"I remember, and I was worried that there was something wrong with her and couldn't sleep. Then you would sing to me, and she always quieted down and I would fall asleep."

"No matter what happens, B, our family will survive. Remember our vows? For better or for worse, for good times or for bad, we will have the good times again, mi amor, I swear it. You and the girls are my whole life, now close your eyes like a good girl, and relax and breathe," Santana started to sing softly to Brittany the song she used to sing when she was pregnant, the song she sang to both her daughters when they were babies. It only took a few minutes before she heard Brittany softly snoring. She looked up at noticed Rachel's monitors, her breathing and her heart rate had slowed into a peaceful rhythm. Santana hung up the phone, and continued to softly sing to her youngest child.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**To be continued….if you liked it I would appreciate a review… thanks for reading….**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N – I don't own Glee or the characters**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters; everyone not on the show is from my imagination. Thanks to everyone for the alerts, favorites, and comments. They absolutely mean the world to me!**_

_**WARNING: some discussions about cutting, no graphic descriptions.**_

_**Chapter 22**_

Rachel had been released from the hospital two weeks ago, and everyone had moved back home. She was still having physical therapy on a daily basis, and worked her arm and leg muscles with her mama as well. She still had a few issues with word confusion, but considering the extent of her injuries, the aftereffects were minor. She was lucky to be alive, and she knew it. The one obvious difference was her emotional outbursts, which differed greatly from the old diva tantrums. These, she seemed to have little control over. Janie, Quinn's therapist had told them it was a form of post-traumatic stress from the attack. She recommended a therapist for Rachel to talk to that dealt with trauma.

Puck was a constant fixture at the house, as only he seemed to be able to fully calm Rachel down during a meltdown. No one at school would recognize the man, Noah Puckerman was becoming. He was gentle, soft-spoken, calm, and incredibly patient with Rachel, and she was less of a high strung diva when he was present. She loved to listen to him play guitar and sing, and he loved to listen to her talk, even when she was bossing him around.

"Rach, why don't you try singing along with me on one of our old Glee songs," Puck smiled softly up at petite brunette. He was idling on the floor, strumming songs on his guitar. Brittany had asked him to stay with Rachel while she and Santana took Quinn to talk to the attorney's at the DA's office.

She was sitting on the couch with her legs tucked up under her flipping through a magazine, exhausted from her physical therapy session earlier, "Not today, Noah," she smiled, "I'm really tired and my leg's ache."

He put his guitar to the side, and got up to sit next to her, "Babe, it's just you and me here, and if you want to try to sing I'm happy to help. I'll even leave if you want to try to sing on your own, but I know it's eating at you, and you need to try or it's going to drive you crazy. I know you built an entire future around Broadway," he finished softly, "You are not going to be at peace until you find out one way or the other."

"Noah," Rachel started to deny what he said.

"I'm not pressuring you, Jew babe," he winked at her, "I'm just trying to help," he got up and stretched, "I'm starving to death. What is there to eat in this place? You hungry, Rach?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "You just ate a half hour ago, how on Earth can you be hungry again so soon?"

He leaned over, kissed her soundly, and smirked, "Because I'm a growing boy, Rach."

She laughed, and it was music to his ears. He headed to the kitchen to make a sandwich. She sat quietly for a few minutes, and thought about how much she missed music. She opened her mouth slowly, but nothing came out and she stopped trying as tears rolled down her face.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Santana sat in the deputy prosecutor's office, and she was furious. They had just gotten through telling her that they were going to try Finn Hudson separately for Quinn's rape and Rachel's kidnapping and assault. She was a prosecutor herself, so she knew why they were doing it, they didn't feel they had a chance of convicting him for Quinn's rape, and had a better chance doing so at Rachel's trial.

She huffed irritably, that was fine for them, but it meant her family was going to have to live through two horrendously stressful trials that might last a year or more. She felt like her oldest daughter was being sacrificed, and it didn't sit well with her. The worst part was the guilt she felt knowing she had done the same to other grieving families. Now that she had spent some time in the shoes of the victims, she was not so proud of her outstanding conviction rate.

"I need to spend time with Quinn," the female deputy prosecutor said shortly, interrupting Santana's rage, "We need to spend some time going over her testimony. If you would like to go to lunch, we should be finished by the time you get back," she said dismissively.

Brittany spoke up; "We are not leaving our daughter here alone," Santana nodded her agreement. She reached out and took Quinn's hand, "Britt's right, we are staying here by her side the entire time."

The young attorney looked harassed but didn't argue the point. Trial prep was easier without meddling parents' present, but Santana Lopez was a legendary prosecutor and it wouldn't be good for her career to piss her off even more than she had earlier.

"Alright, let's get started," she looked at the teen critically, "First off, we need to go back to your natural hair color, the pink has to go and I recommend letting it grow out so that it's a longer, softer cut."

"Yeah, not going to happen," Quinn interjected. Santana bit back a laugh. This attorney thought she was a tough cookie? She hadn't met the Lopez-Pierce ladies!

Hillary Porter clenched her teeth, this was a dog of a case and she couldn't stand losing. Dealing with this pink-haired teenager and her parents was just going to be an uphill battle, "Listen, Quinn; we need to convince the jury you are a sweet, innocent, little girl who was robbed of her virginity by force by Finn Hudson. You have the face of an angel; why not use that to your advantage?"

"Well, that's what happened or don't you believe me either? He forced me to have sex against my will, I said no, and just for your information I _was_ a virgin when it happened. What the hell does it matter what I look like?"

"Quinn," Brittany gently scolded her oldest child on her language, "Ms. Porter is just trying to help."

The lawyer, feeling emboldened by Brittany's assurances leaned forward on her elbows, and removed her trendy classes, "It doesn't matter what I think, and it shouldn't matter what you look like, I agree with you. Sadly, it does matter. I can only remove so many prejudicial people from the jury pool, and they are going to look at you and judge you. I wish they were just going to judge Finn Hudson on his actions, but they are going to look at both of you and decide who they believe more. He looks like an All-American football hero and you….."

Quinn interrupted, "and I look like a slut!"

"I didn't say that," Hillary said harshly.

"You didn't have to," Quinn fell back against her chair back feeling defeated, "I got the gist. No need to spell it out. He's the All-American hero and I'm the former head cheerleader who fell from grace and became a Skank."

The lawyer decided to take a different tack, "This is going to be a hard case to prove, Quinn. Basically we have no proof, no physical evidence, and it's a he said/she said situation," she said counting off items on her fingers, "You were both drinking, and some consensual sex happened before the rape. Because the cases are being tried separately, we aren't even going to talk about what he did to Rachel or any other patterns of behavior. It's an uphill battle already without you going in there with a chip on your shoulder."

Brittany started to speak up, "I'd…"

The lawyer put her hand up, and stopped Brittany from talking, "Shh.."

Santana was furious, "Don't you shush my wife! She had a question, and I for one would like to hear it. I'd also like to know exactly why the cases are being tried apart from each other, but your chicken shit boss won't meet me face to face," she stood up and leaned over the desk, getting into Hillary Porter's face, "And don't you dare suggest that my daughter deserved to be raped either! I don't like your attitude at all! You've demeaned my wife and my daughter, and honestly I don't trust you to be on our side."

"Santana," the lawyer huffed, as Brittany moved to keep her wife from hitting the other woman if it came to that.

"Don't call me Santana, you haven't earned the right. My name is Mrs. Lopez-Pierce, and I was trying cases while you were still shitting in your Huggies," she finished loudly, pointing her index finger at the silent attorney, "You're fired, I want another lawyer! Come on Britt, Quinn we are out of here!" She grabbed her purse, Quinn's hand, and ushered Brittany out of the door. Santana was furious at the way her daughter and wife had been treated. She knew it was going to be a hard case to win, but she hated the look of defeat that was already on Quinn's face, "Have our new attorney get in contact with me by the end of today," she slammed the office door hard enough to rattle the windows for good measure. It made her feel better.

They walked silently to the parking lot, getting into the car together. Santana looked in the rearview mirror and saw Quinn chewing her bottom lip nervously and picking at her finger nails. It reminded Santana of a whipped puppy, "We have some time before your counseling, let's go grab a bite to eat. There are some things we need to talk about, and going all Lima Heights on people always makes me hungry," she teased playfully. She smiled widely when she got the desired smirk from her daughter. She reached out and took Brittany's hand, and squeezed it gently, letting her know she was just kidding. It was clear that Brittany was not impressed with her outburst.

The family sat down at a private booth in the back of the neighborhood deli. No one spoke until after the drink and food orders were taken.

Santana spoke first, "I wanted to apologize to both of you for losing it back there. It was disgraceful how she disrespected both of you, but I'm afraid I wasn't much better. I'm serious though about her being fired, we need someone who believes in this case, and wants justice as much as we do. Hillary Porter was not that person."

Brittany nodded her acceptance of the apology with a look that let Santana know she would be hearing more about her little outburst later in private. It was a conversation she was not looking forward to. Quinn just shrugged, but gave a thin smirk, "The diaper line was actually kinda funny. The look on her face was priceless."

Mother and daughter shared an amused smile while Brittany just shook her head at how alike the two of them were, "I don't know what I'm going to do with the two of you!"

The waitress brought their drinks, and Santana took a sip of her water, "What were you going to say in the meeting, B?"

"I was going to ask why the trials were being separated. I really don't think we've been given a decent answer to that question," she shrugged, "but you beat me to the question!"

"I think it's pretty obvious, Mama. The DA's office doesn't think we can win, and they don't want my skanky case to poison Rachel's case," she said softly.

"Quinn!" Brittany scolded.

"No, Britt. Let her speak her mind. This is her case, and I want to hear her opinions," she turned towards her daughter, "go ahead, baby. Tell us what you think."

Quinn's hazel eyes filled with unshed tears, and she looked at her mother gratefully, "Thanks, Mom. I think they really don't believe me, or if they do, they don't think we can win. They have a lot of evidence in Rachel's case," she sipped her water slowly, her mouth was bone dry, "plus Sam says they are going to put me on trial. I wasn't trying to fight her, but I don't want to change my appearance."

"Why not, baby girl," Brittany took her hand and held it gently. Quinn had been nervously tapping it on the table, "talk to us, we believe you, and we are behind you 100%"

"Thanks, Mama. That means so much to me, you don't even know," she wiped a few stray tears, "It took me a long time after that night with Finn to figure out who I was, really was deep down. Maybe I'm still not totally sure, but I'm not that perfect, blonde, straight A, cheerleader. I don't want to dye my hair back and wear those silly dresses and cardigans and pretend to be someone I'm not," she chewed her lip, and Santana was afraid she was going to draw blood, "This is me, pink hair and all. I've made a lot of mistakes; lying to you guys, letting Rachel date Finn, sneaking out that night and drinking, the tattoo," she smiled at her mama, "but I've been trying to figure out who I am and what I like. Changing myself to convince the stupid jury that I'm someone I'm not seems dishonest to me, and if feels like I'm personally taking a bunch of steps backwards in the progress I've already made."

Santana met her wife's eyes, and she could see the love and pride that she was feeling radiating from her wife. She smiled lovingly at her daughter, "I just want you to know that your mama and I love you so much. We are so proud of you, and the progress you've made. Speaking for myself, I don't want you to go backwards, so if you don't want to change your appearance, you don't have to."

Brittany nodded in agreement, "Absolutely, I want justice for you baby, but I want you to feel free to do it your way. We'll back you up on that, no matter what."

Quinn nodded, "I just keep thinking, what if he'd raped Mack, or Sheila or one of the others who weren't blessed with the face of an angel," she said disgustedly, using air quotes, "would it make Finn Hudson any less guilty, or them any less violated? It's not fair, and it really makes me angry."

Santana nodded and voiced her agreement, and in her mind she wondered if perhaps Finn Hudson had raped someone else and they were afraid to report it because he looked so perfect and they didn't. It gave her some ideas on how to help Quinn at trial.

They ate their meal mostly in silence; each deep in their own thoughts until it was time for Quinn's counseling session.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Janie sat with a huge smile on her face when Quinn explained how Santana fired her lawyer, "Your mothers' are incredible women, but remind me to stay on Santana's good side."

"Uh Mrs. Lopez-Pierce, I'm not sure you've earned the right to call her Santana yet," Quinn joked, and they both laughed.

"This is highly unprofessional, but I would have paid money to see her verbally smack down that smug lawyer of yours."

"It was worth the price of admission, but the lawyer was right about a few things. I don't think we can win this," Quinn's tone changed to one of defeat.

"Why do you think that, Quinn?"

"She's right about it being a matter of my word versus his word. I don't have any proof at all. They all think I'm stupid and I don't understand that's the reason they separated my case from Rachel's. I don't think the prosecutor's think we can win," she spat angrily, "The jury is going to take one look at his stupid face and one look at my pink hair and punk clothes, and he is going to walk."

Janie stayed quiet for a minute, "I hear a lot of doubt, fear, and anger. Is that accurate?"

Quinn sighed, "You always want me to identify what I'm feeling and half the time I'm not even aware I feel anything. I doubt we can win with my word against his, and yeah, that pisses me off. What he did was wrong, no it was evil. I honestly don't want to go to trial. I'd rather do some plea bargain and let them put him in jail for what he did to Rachel."

"I agree that what he did was evil but, Quinn what he did was also criminal. Don't you think he needs to be held accountable for that?" She studied the teenager sitting in front of her, "When you were keeping this a secret, how did it make you feel?"

"I felt dirty, I was afraid of him hurting Rachel, and was ashamed and didn't want my moms' to find out what happened," she said so quietly Janie had to lean forward to hear her.

"How will you feel if you don't pursue this? No, don't answer right away; I really want you to think about this. How about take a few days and make a pro's and con's list about the upcoming trial versus not going to trial and accepting a plea bargain. Dig deep, Quinn and really figure out how both situations are going to make you feel; about your life, your feelings, your future, your family, your friendships, your romantic relationships, and about Finn Hudson," Janie stood up and went to her desk and pulled out a drawer. She took out a notebook that looked like a diary of some sort. It had a pretty cover of pastel colors and was very artistic looking, "This reminded me of you for some reason. You can use this to journal in, or make your lists in or whatever you want to do with it. I think journaling might help you with sorting out your feelings."

"Thanks, Janie. This is really pretty, I like it. I'll use it as my journal. I already write really awful poetry and some thoughts and stuff, so this will help me keep it organized. I'll start on those lists right away, because thinking about this trial is getting overwhelming."

"Do you have any thoughts about cutting or hurting yourself?" Janie asked softly.

Quinn looked up quickly, her eyes suddenly became hard, her posture cautious, guarded, and closed off, "I never said I cut!"

"You never said you didn't either, and you hinted pretty plainly that you had cut before but were afraid I might tell your mothers' or hospitalize you," she leaned back and folded her hands over her knees, drawing them in, "I would like to reassure you again that I am under a legal obligation to disclose only if I feel that you are a danger to yourself or others. If we are working on this, and have a plan of action in place, and an agreement that you call before you cut then I don't have to disclose."

Janie watched as Quinn worked things through in her mind. She was silent for at least five minutes. The teenager looked at Janie and the therapist could see she had made a decision, "I think about it all the time lately, especially when the pressure gets overwhelming."

"Like today?"

Quinn shook her head yes, "Yeah, today is going to be difficult."

Janie licked her lips, and sat forward, "Have you cut before?" She wondered if the teenager would be honest with her. The therapist had a lot of experience with teenagers, and already knew the answer.

The teenager was staring down at her lap, "A few times," she whispered softly, "I've done it a few times before."

"Quinn, look at me please," Janie said firmly.

"I can't. I'm ashamed, and I don't want to see that you are ashamed of me. You can't tell my mothers'; I'd never be able to face them ever again."

"Hey, first of all I'm really proud of you for being honest about what you have going on. It means a lot to me that you trusted me with this. You have nothing to be ashamed of, please look at me so we can discuss this."

Shame filled hazel eyes looked up slowly, settling on Janie's chin, "Are you going to tell my moms'?"

"Are you trying to kill yourself when you cut, Quinn? Are you suicidal? Do you have a plan to hurt yourself or someone else?" Janie asked professionally.

"No, I swear to God. It's nothing like that. I just feel overwhelmed, and I get all freaked out, and cutting helps. I don't know how or why but it does. I would never kill myself, it would destroy my family. I would never do that to them or myself. I'm a fighter, not a quitter."

"Not everyone who commits suicide is a quitter, Quinn. Sometimes depression can get so bad a person feels they have no other option, and their family and friends are better off without them. It's a dangerous place to find yourself in. Promise me that you will be honest with me if you start feeling more depressed or more hopeless than usual?"

Quinn nodded her agreement, "I will, I promise."

"I have a contract that I keep with my clients who are depressed. I'd like you to read it over and sign it. It's not that I don't trust you, but I have found that when you have a formal agreement with someone they tend to strive to keep their word. It simply states that you will call me, tell your parents' or check into a hospital if you feel that you might be tempted to kill yourself," she handed the simple agreement to Quinn to review.

"I don't think I'll ever need this, but I can sign it. I don't want to take medication," Quinn looked up at her therapist. She was surprised that she was really starting to trust this young woman, but Janie had never lied to her, and was very straightforward and direct. They were traits she herself possessed, and she definitely admired them in others.

"Thank you, Quinn. I promise that I will respect your privacy, as long as I feel you are safe. I also promise that at any time I feel I have to disclose anything you tell me, you will be the first to know. I'll never go behind your back, and I'll always be honest with you, agreed?" She stuck her hand at for Quinn to shake.

Quinn smiled and shook Janie's hand firmly, "Agreed!"

"Good, now today I want to address your guilt and shame. We have a lot of work to do in that area. It might help if I explain a little about what we know about cutting. Are you open to hearing about this?"

"Well, honestly I hate to talk about it at all," Quinn started, "it makes me feel like something is wrong with me. I want to listen to what you have to say though. If it gets too hard to hear, can we stop?"

Janie smiled compassionately, "Of course, and I want you to let me know when our sessions get hard for you. The closer the trial gets, the harder it is going to be, but I will always be here for you. I want you to feel free to call me, no matter what time it is if you start to feel like your life is spiraling out of control. I'm serious about you calling me night or day, Quinn. I know you have a loving, supportive family, and great friends, but you haven't always been willing to share with them what you are feeling. I want you to trust that I'm not going to judge you or criticize you, no matter what you tell me."

"I know you won't, Janie. I do have a hard time letting people know, especially my moms'. I just care so much what they think of me, you know? They are awesome people, and I don't want to ever disappoint them."

Janie looked at the pretty, pale girl in front of her. She wondered if Quinn really saw herself, and how strong she was. She doubted that Quinn had any idea what a wonderful person she was, "I don't think you could disappoint them, but we'll work on that. Right now, I want to talk to you about cutting. This is from a recent study on teenagers who cut. I want you to listen closely and see if you can identify with any of it. Self-harm is caused when a person has been pushed against a wall and has no way out. They feel a sense of being trapped; when they are stressed and pushed they need an outlet. Even animals that are locked in cages and mistreated will start to self-harm due to high levels of emotional stress. Cutters are actually very intelligent people; they have great insight on how the world operates, and they know that they are dissatisfied and unhappy. Cutting becomes the solution to the overwhelming stress they are facing. This is because cutting works, it is not a healthy solution, but it is the only solution the cutter sees as available to them. A teenager who is cutting him or herself has been emptied, they feel empty and hopeless. Not only are they intelligent, but they feel disconnected from their own feelings. It becomes more and more difficult to connect to feelings or emotions; they feel distant, numb, and disconnected from what is happening externally compared to what is happening internally. Self-harm becomes a way to express the pain they feel, and soon becomes the only way they can express emotions. Self-harm can become addictive which can lead to accidental death; the form of high felt by cutting is no longer achieved easily so greater risks are taken over time," she looked up at Quinn and saw the teenager was crying, "Why are you crying? What are you feeling right now, Quinn?"

Quinn was surprised to find herself crying. She quickly wiped away the tears, "That's just it, Janie. I didn't even know I was crying until you said something. Sometimes I just feel dead inside, that's usually when I give in and do something."

Janie studied the teen. Her body language indicated she was completely overwhelmed and exhausted, "It's been a rough day, Quinn. I want to stop now and let's work on some breathing exercises that I think will really help when you start feeling overwhelmed and out of touch. Try to recognize a feeling every day, and write it in your journal. What came up when the feeling occurred and what that feeling was? There is no right or wrong answer, and I will tell you in the beginning you may not be able to identify exactly what you're feeling but don't stress about it. We'll figure it out, and work it through. Now let's learn how to breathe properly."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany made a nice dinner, and Mack brought over Quinn's homework so they could work on it together. The two girls were up in Quinn's bedroom but they weren't getting much done. They were lying on the bed talking. Quinn was on her back staring at the ceiling and Mack was lying next to her on her stomach.

Ever since Rachel's attack, Mack had been having strong feelings for her best friend, and it was scaring her. She had never been attracted to a woman like she was to Quinn and these feelings for the pink haired teen was new as well. She was confused and wondered if it was just protective feelings being mistaken for romantic feelings. Mack had fooled around with a lot of guys, she'd had sex with guys since she was 14 years old, but she never felt anything even close to what she was feeling for Quinn Lopez-Pierce.

When Sam called Quinn and started texting her, Mack experienced murderous jealousy for the first time in her life. She knew she should talk to someone about it, but who? It wasn't something she could confide in the other skanks, Quinn's parents' were out of the question, Puck would mock her and make inappropriate sexual comments and she'd have to punch him, so that left Quinn or Reina. Not much of a choice in her eyes. She could tell Quinn was really stressed out, so she couldn't add any more to what she had going on, so it would have to be Reina. The thought didn't thrill her. She was pretty sure Reina would tell Santana who in turn would tell Brittany. Maybe she should just keep it to herself for a while.

"Hey dork, are you even listening to me?" Quinn was aggravated, and poked Mack in the ribs, hard.

"Ow, bitch! I was listening. I was just thinking, that's all," Mack grumbled, rubbing her side.

Quinn smirked at her best friend, "I knew I smelled something burning. It's all those brain cells, try not to hurt yourself. I know you're not used to heavy thinking."

Mack laughed out loud, and poked Quinn back. That led to a slap fight and loud screaming and threats between the two. Santana was putting away laundry in her room, and opened the door to see what was going on. She got hit squarely in the face with a decorative pillow from Quinn's bed. Both girls stopped what they were doing and stared at the startled Latina.

"What is going on in here? I thought you two were doing homework?" She said rubbing her nose.

Quinn winked at Mack, "We are mommy, we are doing physics homework. We were measuring the velocity of flying pillows, but you messed up our experiment. Now we have to start all over again," she said playfully.

Santana quirked an eyebrow and glared at the two teens who were close to laughing out loud in front of her. She put her hands on her hips sternly, "Sure you were, keep in down in here, and finish that homework because I'll be checking it to make sure it's done. I know you don't want to deal with the consequences of unfinished homework," Santana glared for a moment longer, before pulling the door shut behind her. She leaned back against the door, and smiled when she heard Mack and Quinn burst out laughing. It was nice to see Quinn have some fun.

Inside the room, Quinn was laughing so hard she was leaning on Mack for support. She could hardly breathe she was laughing so hard. Mack was practically in hysterics, "Did you see the look on her face when that pillow hit her?"

"I know, I thought she was going to kill us. Oh my god, that was so funny," Quinn breathed out. She leaned into her best friend, they were chest to chest. She let out a long groan trying to catch her breath, she was still giggling. She shook her hair out of her eyes, and looked up into Mack's face. The brunette wasn't laughing anymore, she was staring at Quinn.

"What?" Quinn asked quietly, self-consciously.

Almost in slow motion, Mack leaned down and kissed Quinn gently on her lips. Quinn was stunned, she didn't pull away, but she didn't kiss back. Mack gently deepened the kiss, taking Quinn's silence as permission to continue. It was soft and gentle and nothing like any of the boys had ever kissed the former cheerleader. Finn had been hard and rough, his hands all over her, his kissed bruising her lips.

She felt frozen, stuck like a deer in a headlight. This time she participated in the kiss, but barely. Mack licked her bottom lip, and Quinn opened her mouth giving Mack's tongue access to her mouth. Her mind was racing and she was starting to freak out so she pulled away roughly, shoving Mack away from her. She put her head down and her hand to her mouth. Quinn remained silent except for one word, "No."

Mack started to hyperventilate, "Shit, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. Quinn, I really am sorry. Fuck, I gotta go," she shoved her books and papers haphazardly into her bag and ran out of the room. She nearly knocked Santana down who was coming up the stairs.

"Jesus, Mack where's the fire, slow down. No running in the house," Santana snapped.

"I'm sorry," Mack continued quickly down the stairs and out the front door before anyone could stop her. She kept running until she got to the park. She knew Brittany or Santana would call Reina, and she didn't need to get in trouble right now. Pulling out her cell phone she thought about texting Reina and asking her to pick her up at the park. She sat and let her tears of humiliation fall unattended down her face, holding her cell phone in her hand. 'That was a major fuckup,' she thought to herself, 'What the fuck was I thinking? Quinn will never talk to me again!' It was all she could do to stop herself from completely freaking out.

The more she thought about explaining this to Reina, the more upset she got. She texted Reina, and told her she would be home tomorrow, she had things to take care of. Then she shut off her phone, and took off down the road in the opposite direction of the Lopez-Pierce home. She was going to get good and drunk, and the only person she knew who would let her blow off steam was Puck. He would let her get drunk, and play Halo with her. Blowing up shit always made her feel better. She knew where she could get booze too, hopefully her old man was passed out or gone and she could take what she wanted.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn was in a state of shock. She sat down heavily on her bed with her hand still to her mouth, her other arm wrapped around her middle. The most confusing part was she didn't hate it. She felt a little guilty that she had shoved Mack but it was mostly because she was shocked, not angry.

Santana stuck her head in Quinn's room, "Where did Mack go in such a hurry?"

"I don't know, she just said she had to go," Quinn said evasively.

"Was she going home?"

"I'm sorry, I really don't know. I'll text her and find out if you want."

"No that's ok baby just work on your homework. I'll give Reina a call and make sure she got home alright. You two didn't fight did you?"

"No," Quinn looked up, her bright hazel eyes shining with emotion, "We were definitely not fighting with each other."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**To be continued…..Lots happened, so let me know what you think…. I love to read your thoughts and comments.**_


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N – I don't own Glee or the characters_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters; everyone not on the show is from my imagination. Thanks to everyone for the alerts, favorites, and comments. They absolutely mean the world to me!_

_A quick word about this chapter; it really doesn't move the story forward but it clears up some plotlines. The next few chapters are the upcoming trials of Finn and Azimio and the effect it has on the entire Lopez-Pierce family and their friends and loved ones._

_Chapter 23_

Mack was still sitting on a swing at the abandoned park, idling twisting around as she was stuck in her head thinking thoughts that went from bad to worse. Why had she given in and kissed her best friend, especially when her best friend had enough shit going on in her life? Not to mention, Quinn had been raped, and she had completely forced herself on her. She completely discounted Quinn's participation in the kiss. She felt awful, and kept comparing herself to Finn 'fucking' Hudson as she always referred to him.

She had turned off her phone so she wouldn't have to deal with Reina, Brittany, Santana, Puck or god forbid, Quinn herself. She had considered going to hang out with Puck, but knew that was the second place Reina or Brittany would come looking for her if she wasn't at the Lopez-Pierce residence. It was not the ideal place to hang out on second glance.

Mack was so sure that Quinn was going to hate her that she was practically paralyzed with guilt and shame. It didn't help in the slightest that their kiss had established for Mack that she was in love with her best friend, her best 'girl' friend. She literally didn't know what to do. Feeling terrible, and having an overwhelming need to feel worse, she started walking to her childhood home. Mack wasn't a big drinker, but numbing her pain sounded like a reasonable response, and if her sperm donor hit her, well she probably deserved it anyway.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Reina had just received Mack's text when a call came in from Santana Lopez-Pierce. She answered it in the hopes that her friend could shed some light on Mack's sudden weird behavior. Since Brittany's talk with the teenager, things at the house had been going really well. Mack has stopped trying to push her away, and the detective felt they were starting to build a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. It felt like they were back to square one, and Reina was not thrilled with the dismissive tone of Mack's text, nor the way she had been told, not asked, about staying out all night. It was definitely something Reina would never have allowed on a school night, and she would never have allowed it without knowing where Mack was going to be. The girl's text had contained no information whatsoever. She was fighting against the worry that was vying with the anger she was feeling.

"Hey, Santana, I was just going to call you," she huffed, aggravation clear in her tone, "Is Mack still at your house?"

"No, that's why I was calling. She tore out of here in a hurry; I was calling to make sure she got home alright. I was going to give her a lift home since it was after dark, but she left before I could say anything. Why, what's going on?"

"I got some random text from her telling me she had stuff to do and she would see me sometime tomorrow. I think her phone has been shut off since it goes right to voicemail," she said with a combination of worry and suppressed rage.

Santana frowned, "I asked Quinn if they had a fight, and she said no, but I have a feeling she knows more than she's saying. What is it with these kids not telling us anything?"

Reina actually laughed out loud, "I suppose you ran to your Mamí with all your secrets then, eh Lopez?"

"Shut up, and get your ass over here. Seriously, do you want to find your missing kid, or harass me?"

"I thought I was doing both at the same time," Reina teased, "You are so easy to mock, Lopez! I'll be right over; can you call Puck for me? See if he's heard from her."

Santana rolled her eyes, "I shouldn't help you, but I will for Mack's sake, plus B is rather fond of you, God knows why. I'll talk to you when you get here."

"Thanks, amiga. Bye."

Santana hung up and dialed Puck's number to see if he had heard from the wayward teen.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn was still sitting on her bed still in shock when her mama knocked on her bedroom door. She looked up, recognizing the soft knock of her tall, blonde mother and called out for her to come in.

Brittany cracked open the door, and stuck her head in slightly, "Hi sweetie, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The teen shrugged casually, and automatically moved over so her mother could sit next to her on the bed, "What's up?"

"Well, that was going to be my question to you," her mom said confusing Quinn at first, "your mom called Reina, and Lauren sent her a text saying she had stuff to take care of and would come home tomorrow. She apparently shut her phone off since it's been going straight to voicemail. Reina is pretty upset, as would I be if or your sister pulled a stunt like that," she narrowed her eyes sternly, and Quinn was glad it wasn't her in trouble, "Anyway, your mom said Lauren ran out of your room, down the stairs, and left in a hurry. I have a feeling you might have an idea what's going on," she finished calmly.

Quinn hated that her mother was so loving and gentle. It made it nearly impossible to lie to her. She knew exactly what Mack was upset about, and she knew from the looks she was getting, that her mama knew that she knew. The last thing Quinn wanted was to humiliate Mack, especially since she hadn't even processed how she felt about everything yet, but on the other hand, she didn't want Mack to get into major trouble. It kind of looked like it was too late to keep her out of trouble, if the look in her mama's eyes meant anything. She was calm, but she was pissed. Quinn had been on the receiving end of that stare a few times, and it never ended well for her or her butt. She tried to look away from her mother's penetrating glance, but she finally gave up and looked directly into laser-like blue eyes. She sighed, "I do. I mean, I do have an idea what's going on. It's very personal, and it would only upset and embarrass Mack if I told you or Reina," her hazel eyes looked up pleadingly, "I can try calling or texting, but I have a feeling I am the last person she is going to want to talk to right now."

"Quinn…" Brittany warned.

"Mama, it's a best friend thing. I can't violate her trust; she didn't violate mine when I begged her to not tell about the… you know thing with Finn. This isn't something I can tell anyone, it's not my story to tell, it's hers. Please tell me you understand that?"

Quinn's pretty eyes were starting to fill with tears, and that upset and worried the older blonde. This was something serious if her daughter was getting so emotional about it. She sighed, and sat back, "No one hurt her right?"

She saw understanding in Quinn's eyes right away, "No, it's not that kind of secret, mama, I swear. I don't think she ran away from home either," Brittany watched as her daughter struggled with what to say and what not to say, "It's more like she's hiding to lick her wounds, you know, like she's embarrassed and her feelings are hurt. Does that make sense?"

And just like that, in a flash, Brittany understood what had happened, "She pounced," she muttered more to herself than out loud. The tall blonde was more perceptive than people gave her credit for; she always knew things without being told.

"Huh?" Quinn asked, "What do you mean?"

"I've noticed how Lauren looks at you, sweetie," Brittany said delicately, "I've wondered for a while now, if she might not have a girl crush on you. It was the way she was looking at you since Homecoming; it's like the way your mom used to look at me in high school when she didn't think I knew she was looking at me," she smiled at the memory of those first difficult days with Santana, "She kissed you, didn't she?"

Quinn hated her fair skin, and light complexion never more than when she was embarrassed. She always turned bright red, and there was no way to hide her chagrin.

"It's ok, sweetie," Brittany patted her oldest daughter's leg, "You don't have to tell me."

For Quinn it was like a floodgate opened. She hadn't revealed the secret, her mama guessed. It wasn't a betrayal if her mama guessed, "I think she thinks I'm mad at her. It just startled me, that's all, and I pushed her away and said NO kinda loud. I might have scared her, or made her think she scared me. She started apologizing and before I could say anything, she ran out of the room. I wasn't mad at her, I was just confused because… well because….." she put her head down unable to meet her mama's curious look, "It felt nice, and I might have kissed her back a little," she whispered so softly that Brittany had to lean forward just to hear her.

Brittany leaned back, and smiled softly. Why did human sexuality have to be so hard to deal with? "Oh, baby girl, neither of you have anything to be ashamed of, and neither of you did anything wrong. Sex, dating, being attracted to people is so confusing and awkward at the best of times, but for people who are attracted to the same sex or someone they consider their best friend, it makes it even more difficult," she leaned forward and pulled Quinn into a comforting embrace, "take my word on this, this is actually something I know about firsthand."

Quinn leaned into her mother, loving the beautiful way she smelled, the softness of her embrace, the comforting kisses she dropped on her head, the way she fit so perfectly against her mama's chest, how she could hear her heart beat steady and strong. It was home being in her mama's arms, and it always made her feel safe and loved. It was somewhat mortifying at her age to crave and find comfort in her mama's arms, and to enjoy cuddling with her, but it wasn't something Quinn was willing to give up for the sake of pride. No one hugged like Brittany Lopez-Pierce, and anyone on the receiving end of a Brittany hug knew it.

Brittany held her confused child, and just poured her love into the teenager the only way she could right now. She knew that anything related to dating or sex would be very hard for both her daughters since Finn Hudson. It wasn't something she mentioned to Quinn since she was confused and upset enough, but it was going to have to be addressed. As a rape victim, intimacy was going to be a touchy subject all her life. It was just not something she or Santana thought they would have to address in the near future, and frankly they were more worried about Sam then Lauren. Brittany kissed her daughter on the head, overwhelmed by her love for the teenager; she really was just like Santana.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany and Quinn walked downstairs to find Reina in the living room with Santana and Rachel. Puck arrived shortly after.

"Hey, Jew Babe," he said sweetly as Rachel stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips sweetly, "I missed you."

Rachel laughed, "You just left here an hour ago. I don't think that qualifies as enough time to actually miss someone," she teased but Quinn could tell she was pleased by what he had said by the pink tinge in her cheeks, and the small smile on her lips.

Santana pulled Brittany aside as the others talked, "When did that happen?" she pointed to Rachel and Puck.

"I think for Noah it happened months before Rachel's attack, but I think Rachel just realized she had feelings for Noah in the hospital. You didn't notice, babe? It was pretty obvious," Brittany looked puzzled, "He's over here all the time. I thought you knew, that's why I didn't say anything."

"I know he never left her side in the hospital, but I didn't know the feeling was mutual. I also didn't know they had progressed to kissing!" Santana loved Puck, but she was feeling very protective over Rachel since the attack, "I'm not sure this is a good idea, B."

Brittany understood Santana was being her normal protective self, "Noah is good for her, and besides, I'm not sure there is much we can do about it. Rachel is pretty smitten with him, and he is crazy about her," she engulfed her wife in a hug, "He might be the best thing that could have happened to her after the attack. Noah Puckerman is no Finn Hudson; he is kind, considerate, and gentle with her, and you love him."

"I loved him a lot more when he wasn't dating my daughter, besides I was thinking more along the lines of a convent for her and Quinn, not boyfriends," Santana grumbled, "and what is with this Jew Babe shit. We're not Jewish!"

"I'm pretty sure it's a term of endearment, sweetheart," Brittany kept holding Santana, calming her crankiness as only she could.

"I think it's a crack about her nose, and I don't like it."

Brittany rolled her eyes, "Well if Rach doesn't complain, I'm not sure we should. I trust him, San. He has always looked out for Quinn, and he will protect Rach."

Santana pulled back, "That's just it, I thought he had the hots for Q. I didn't like that idea either, by the way, but I guess now we have to keep an eye on Sam Evans after all!"

The tall blonde bit her lip, "Yeah, about that; I don't think Sam is going to be much of a problem."

The Latina grew immediately suspicious, "Why not?"

"You might want to sit down, I have something to tell you," Brittany said quietly.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Puck, Rachel, and Quinn went in Noah's truck to try to find the missing teenager, while Brittany took their car, and Santana went with Reina. They really had no idea where to look since as Quinn had told the adults, "I know Mack, if she doesn't want to be found, we are not going to find her. She knows how to stay safe. She'll come back when she's ready to talk."

The teens headed to the park first and other known hangouts, but they really held no hope of finding Mack tonight.

Reina was not so calm, she was feeling a parent's fear for a missing child, and Brittany was not so calm either although she knew Mack was street smart and could take care of herself. Santana was still in shock that Rachel was with Puck, and Mack had kissed Quinn and evidently her oldest might feel something for Mack. Santana was musing about all this as she drove around town looking for the missing teen.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Mack retrieved the spare house key that was hidden under the back porch, and very carefully opened the door and let herself in to her old house. The lights were out, so her father was either asleep or gone so she was being cautious but she was not too worried about running into him. After discovering the house was empty, she wandered around disgusted by the empty liquor bottles and food containers lying around.

She went into her old bedroom, and found it basically the same as it had been the day she left. She realized she didn't have many happy memories in this house, and was starting to regret coming here. Reina and the Lopez-Pierce family had been her real family; they had made homes for her, worried about her, cared enough to discipline her, praised her, encouraged her, and loved her. With a flash of clarity, Mack realized this place was the past, and Reina and the Lopez-Pierce's were her future. It didn't matter what happened with Quinn, she realized that the blonde would forgive her because that is what best friends do.

Feeling guilty once she realized that everyone must be worried about her, Mack decided to turned on her phone to call Puck to come and get her. She would go home, face whatever punishment she had coming, and talk to Quinn tomorrow. Mack pulled her phone out of her pocket, and was looking down at it when she came face to face with her father in the dark hallway. He was very drunk, and holding a baseball bat, "Whoa Dad, don't hit me, it's Lauren!" she yelled loudly startling both of them as the sound echoed through the eerily silent house. She threw her arms up in surprise to protect herself, and cowered against the bedroom door.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?" He bellowed, "You don't fucking live here anymore. You stealing from me?"

Mack almost laughed out loud, from what she had seen earlier there wasn't anything to steal, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come, I needed to think, and I wanted to be alone. I didn't take anything, I swear."

He was still holding the bat up high, like he was ready to take a swing. It was making her nervous, "I was just about to call Puck and have him pick me up," she held the cell phone up so he could see it, "I'll just leave and call him from outside," she started to carefully walk around him, hugging the wall with as she skirted around him.

Putting the bat down finally, he turned on the hallway light, "Ran away from your fancy new home, didn't you? Now you're shacking up with the delinquent with the Mohawk? You're a worthless slut and a loser just like your mother. Get out of my house, and don't come back or I will hit you with the bat next time and be well within my rights if it kills you. You got no business being here!"

Mack hit the living room, and ran for the back door. She didn't look back. Once she was outside, she started running down the street not even stopping to call Puck. Her heart was pounding from the adrenaline of running into her father and his trusty bat. She would call Puck once she got to the park. Mack slowed to a jog, when she heard a horn honking. She looked up and saw Puck's truck in the streetlight.

He slammed on the brakes when she turned to walk towards his truck. The passenger door opened and Quinn and Rachel poured out. She watched astounded as the pink haired teen ran up to her, and threw her arms around her. Mack was so shocked her arms hung uselessly by her side.

Quinn was crying and yelling at her at the same time, "I can't believe you did that! You scared us all half to death. Jesus, what is your problem? I can't believe you were stupid enough to go back to your old house. What if you had run into that drunken idiot and he shot you?"

Mack slowly brought her arms up and hugged Quinn back. She had a big stupid smile on her face. Quinn still loved her; everything was going to be fine, "I'm sorry," she said only for Quinn's ears.

Quinn pulled back and glared at Mack, "That's another thing," she smacked Mack on the arm hard, "You pull that crap and don't even give me a chance to process it before you run off like a scared rabbit? Jesus, is that how things are going to be with you and me?"

"You and me?" Mack asked in shock.

"Not if you are going to disappear everytime things get rough," Quinn continues scolding her, "I mean I don't know what I feel, but I'm willing to at least talk about it. I can't do that if you aren't there to talk about it with, can I?"

"You're willing to talk about it?" She asked stupidly.

Quinn stood there with her arms crossed against her chest. She was still furious, but only because she had been starting to get worried. She just shook her head, and rolled her eyes, "I just said we would, didn't I? I mean, I don't know how I feel, and I don't want to put any labels on anything just now. I just know you are my best friend, and I love you. If we are something more, then we will figure it out, ok? I'm not mad at you or anything."

"Ok, we can try to figure it out. I'm sorry I ran. I was worried that I hurt you or something," Mack said feeling stupid.

"Yeah, well don't do it again," Hazel eyes glared at her, and she raised her eyebrow in irritation.

"I won't, I promise."

Puck walked up and punched her lightly, "Dumb ass! You're in the shit now, pissing off one of the Lopez-Pierce ladies!" he winked at her conspiratorially.

Rachel stood behind Puck, holding onto his arm and smiling shyly at Mack, "I'm so glad you're safe, Lauren. Quinn said you didn't really run away from home, and I was hoping she was right."

Slowly regaining her wits, Mack smiled back, "Thanks, Rachel. I just needed time to think that's all."

"Well that is certainly not going to be a problem since you will be spending all your free time grounded with nothing to do but think!"

All of the teenagers spun around to find three very angry adults, although Santana's eyes twinkled in amusement at the look of fear on Mack's face at Reina's statement. Brittany and Reina both had their arms crossed angrily, and Santana was leaning against Reina's car just watching.

Reina stalked forward, grabbed the teen and pulled her into a fierce hug, "I thought you were gone forever," her voice was husky with emotion.

"I'm sorry, Reina. I was stupid; believe me I know where I belong. It's not with him, it's with you. You guys are my real family."

Brittany pulled her into a fierce hug, as soon as Reina released her, "Don't you ever scare me like that again, do you understand me young lady?"

"I'm sorry, I was scared," Mack whispered, "I didn't know what to do. I should have just stayed, and talked to you guys. I was just afraid all of you would hate me."

Brittany smoothed the hair off the face of the brunette teenager, "Well, that's not even possible. We love you, we could never hate you," she said soothingly.

"Why did you go back to that place," Quinn asked sadly. All the people turned expectantly to look at Mack for an answer.

"At first, I wanted to get drunk," she moved along quickly with her story at the angry glances she was receiving, "then it was just habit, I think. Every time I've been sad, in pain, or hurt I was in that house. It was just…. I don't know how to explain it."

"It was familiar," Brittany supplied sadly.

Mack nodded, "Yeah, but it wasn't where I wanted to be. I looked around and realized it wasn't my home anymore. My home was with all of you, especially with you Reina. I left, and was about to call Puck to come pick me up and bring me home when they found me," she gestured to the teens who were clustered close by.

Reina cleared her throat to hide the overwhelming love she was feeling. She pulled Mack into another hug, and held her tightly, not saying anything, just holding her.

"I guess I'm in big trouble, huh?"

"As soon as we get home, and I'm through hugging you, I'm going to beat your ass!" Reina huffed angrily.

"I figured as much," she held onto the older detective, "I've never really had a real mother. Do you think maybe we can…. I don't know…. I was thinking…" Mack was not often at a loss for words but she didn't know how to ask for what she wanted.

"Maybe if you are open to it, we can make this a more permanent arrangement?" Reina supplied, taking pity on the stuttering teen, "It's what I've wanted all along. I didn't think you would be open to it."

"I am open to it. I think it's time to let go of the past like Q and Rachel are doing, and get on with my future. That is if I haven't messed everything up tonight?"

"You haven't messed up anything kid," Reina held the teen lovingly and rocked her back and forth.

Brittany went over and held a clearly exhausted Rachel, "We need to get you home, and in bed. You are looking really tired, honey!" Rachel didn't argue as her mama led her to the car.

Santana took that moment to grab Puck's arm, and drag him towards his truck, "Listen you, I know all about your reputation with the girls, but I am willing to overlook that because you have always treated Q and Rachel with respect. My wife trusts you so don't fuck that up or I will hurt you!" She threatened point blank.

The handsome teenager blinked twice, and solemnly swore, "I promise I will never betray your or Mrs. LP's trust. I love Rachel, and Q is like my sister. I won't ever fu eh screw that up!"

She narrowed her eyes at him, and glared for a full minute. It was the most uncomfortable minute of Puck's entire life, "All right, you have my permission to date my daughter."

"Thanks, Mrs. LP, I won't let you down," he grinned excitedly.

"I know you won't because I will kill you if you make my wife or daughter cry!" she smirked as she watched him walk nervously towards Rachel and Brittany. She decided to take pity on the kid, "Hey Puck," she called out, "I still love you like you were one of my own, Noah. Just don't mess this up."

He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, and smiled broadly, "I love you too, Mrs. LP!"

She watched him go to Rachel and help her into her mama's car. He was being so careful and gentle it brought tears to her eyes. She watched how Rachel clung to him, smiled up shyly at him, and blushed when she kissed him. It just seemed right, and it actually made her happy that Rachel was willing to let herself be loved after the trauma she had been through.

"That was nice of you to say you loved him, I mean after you scared the hell out of him by threatening to kill him," Quinn smirked next to her mom, "at least you kept it clean, and didn't threaten his manhood."

Santana turned and looked at her daughter carefully. She was on the verge of teasing her about threatening Mack, but knew it was too soon. She sighed, and put an arm around Quinn, "Are you alright with everything that happened today?"

"I should have known mama would tell you everything."

"Not everything, just enough to keep me out of the dark," she smiled lovingly at her daughter, "I can help you with this, whatever you are feeling. I had a hard time when I realized I loved your mama, it's not going to be easy for you to examine those kinds of romantic feelings, especially after what happened to you last year," Santana said strong and firm, "Your mother and I love you with our whole hearts, and we got your back, kiddo. You don't have to be ashamed or embarrassed to talk about your feelings about any of this stuff with us, no matter what those feelings are. You may find you love Mack like a girlfriend, or you may just love her life a best friend. There is no right or wrong answer here. It's just about being true to you, and honest with yourself."

Quinn looked up meekly, "What if I'm only attracted to her because I was ra…. forced by Finn, you know?"

Santana held Quinn as she whispered, "Sex is crazy confusing, and sadly you didn't have the best first experience. When you are with the right person, it's like a spiritual experience and you will know it's right. You will know that it's right, and you'll know it's the right person whether it turns out to be a man or a woman. Right now you don't have to worry about anything at all, just follow your heart. It's a tough little organ, and easily broken, but it will tell you right from wrong if you are brave enough to follow it. Until you learn to trust yourself and your instincts, you can trust your mama and me. We'll help you until you find your own way," she kissed her daughter on the cheek, and wiped away the tears that were falling from Quinn's eyes, "Te amo mi preciosa niña."

"I love you too, mommy," Quinn sniffed and wiped her eyes, "I'm going to go talk to Mack for a second before she leaves with Reina. I'll be right back."

"I'll be in the car with your mama and sister, take your time baby girl."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Brittany had been in the backseat holding a sleeping and exhausted Rachel, glancing between her wife and daughter, and Mack and Reina. Puck had left and gone home once Rachel fell asleep.

She was filled with love and fear for Quinn and her upcoming trial and filled with love and relief for Lauren, the teen she had grown to love as her own. The next month or two was going to be trying for all of them, and she wished it could be over quickly so her daughters could get on with their lives. She smiled as she saw Quinn walk over and talk to Mack. Reina waved goodbye to Santana and walked over to Brittany. The tall blonde rolled down her window to talk to the detective.

Reina looked uncomfortable. She nodded her head towards Mack, "What would you do in this situation? I'm, I've never been a mom before," she said haltingly.

"Honestly?"

Reina nodded at her friend.

"Hmmm," she looked into Reina's dark eyes and held them in her own, "I would take her home, put her over my knee and tan her backside so she couldn't sit comfortably for days. Then I would put her to bed, and hold her all night long and tell her I love her and will never leave her," She saw Reina swallow hard and nod.

"That's what I thought you were going to say."

Brittany reached a hand out and put it over top of the detectives, "She's your daughter now, Reina. You don't have to do what San or I might do. It's up to do to decide how to discipline her, but whatever you do make sure you talk to her first, make sure she understands with what is going to happen. She hasn't had an easy life, make sure she understands the difference between abuse and spanking if you decide on that. She loves you, Reina, and you love her. No matter what happens, it will be fine."

"You promise?"

"I promise," The blonde's smile lit up her face and her eyes, "she knows what she did was wrong, I don't think she is going to argue that a punishment is justified in this case, do you?"

Reina looked over at Mack and Quinn talking, "No, she knows she's in trouble. Thanks Brittany, I don't know what I would have done without you and Santana tonight."

"We feel the same about you and Mack, Reina. We wouldn't know what to do without either of you."

Santana walked over and thumped Reina on the back, "Isn't motherhood fun?"

Reina just shook her head, "Now I know why you look so old!"

Santana stood there with her mouth hanging open, and Brittany tried not to laugh at the shocked and insulted look on her wife's face.

"Now I know you're crazy, because I am one hot bitch! Isn't that right, babe?" Santana said in her cockiest voice.

"You are still the hottest woman I have ever known, and the most beautiful, and the most loving," Brittany said adoringly.

Santana puffed out her chest, "Old, my ass! Puta loca!"

Reina smiled and then nodded towards the two teens talking quietly, "Should I break them up? You should probably get Rach home to bed!"

Brittany shrugged, "Rach is fine, give them a minute. This is all so new and confusing for them. Santana told you what happened?"

Reina nodded as she watched the two teens apprehensively, "Should I be worried about this?"

The tall blonde frowned for a second and then smiled, "I think love should be celebrated in all its forms. We can worry if and when the time comes, right San?"

"That's right, baby! If B's not worried, then I'm not worried."

Reina sighed; she was not looking forward to getting Mack home and dealing with today's events, "Thanks for everything tonight. I'll give you a call tomorrow," she headed slowly over to the talking teens.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Quinn noticed the detective first, "Reina's headed this way."

"Yeah, I'm in huge trouble when she gets me home."

The pink haired teen nodded, "I've been there, I'm sorry you are in trouble. I feel like it's mostly my fault. I overreacted when you kissed me, I was just confused. I wasn't mad at you, I promise!"

"I'm glad you weren't mad, and I'm glad I didn't scare you. That was what upset me the most, that maybe you were afraid of me, that I forced you to do something you didn't want to, like he did," Mack said sadly.

"You are nothing like him! In case you didn't notice, I kissed you back."

Mack looked at Reina and back at Quinn, "So me and you, we're ok? We're good?"

Quinn took her hand, "I am not sure what I feel for you, but it's more than just friends. I've got a lot coming up with the trial and there's some stuff I need to tell you. If you can be patient with me, I'd like to try to figure out what this feeling is between us. Can you do that?"

Mack nodded and smiled sweetly, "I'll wait for you to figure it out, Q. No matter how long it takes, and I'll be right next to you during the trial and Rachel's trial. I've felt this way about you for a long time, and I'm not going anywhere. I can be as patient as you need me to be."

"Good, then I think I can honestly say we are good!" she leaned over and kissed Mack softly and lightly, almost chastely on the lips, "Goodnight, Lauren!"

Despite the goofy grin on her face, and her tingling lips, and her pounding heart, Mack frowned, "Oh God, not you too! I hate that name!"

Quinn laughed melodically, and shrugged as she walked to her mothers' car waving at her new girlfriend over her shoulders.

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

The detective came over and put her arm around Mack, "Did that go as well as it looked?"

"Yeah, it did. We are going to take our time and figure out how we feel about each other," Mack said as they waved goodbye to the departing Lopez-Pierce family.

"Let's go home, we have a lot to figure out ourselves tonight," Reina said not unkindly.

Mack took Reina's hand as they walked to the car, "I'm glad I'm going home with you, even though I'm in trouble. I saw my dad tonight, in the house; he said I was a worthless slut, a loser just like my mother," she had to stop talking or she was going to cry, but she needed to tell Reina this.

Reina stopped walking and put one arm around the teen, rubbing her back comfortingly, letting her pull herself together. It was obvious what Mack had to say was important to her.

"I wanted to take his stupid ball bat away and smack him with it, because I thought he was talking about you! I was thinking Reina isn't a loser and she isn't a worthless slut! That's when I realized when I heard the word mother I thought of you!" She had tears running down her face, "He said I had no business being in his house, and I realized he was right. The only place I want to be is home with you!"

Reina hugged her tightly, their tears mingling, "That's good, kid because I am never letting you go! I love you, and you are my daughter now. We have the rest of our lives to figure out the details."

"Can we go home now?"

"Yeah, kid! Let's go home!"

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**_

_**To be continued…. We get serious next chapter… trial stuff coming up. Let me know what you thought of this chapter…**_


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